With You
by Bong-Bang-Bing
Summary: When the mentally fragile, emotionally closed off Sapphire has a peculiar run in with a Breton girl, her life is thrown entirely off balance. While she tries to sort through her own lingering inner turmoil, she now has to attempt to understand her newly acquired feelings towards someone she barely even knows. Rated M for language, violence, and reference to sexual abuse.
1. The Debt

I sat in the Ragged Flagon and I listened. The jug of mead in my hand was really just for show, I had no intentions of drinking it. Sometimes, when things were getting too hectic, or it just felt like I needed a break, I would sit, alone, and take it all in. There was rarely a quiet moment so it wasn't dull. It was also good to be aware of what the others were up to.

Dirge approached Tonilia and asked her politely to stop cheating on Vekel. From what I had known their relationship hadn't been set in stone and was loose. Tonilia denied the claims and Dirge retaliated that everyone in the Guild knew about her and Brynjolf, which wasn't true. I had no idea or suspicions on anything between those two, I rarely saw them interact. Grumbling some things to himself, our gruff bodyguard returned to his post by the ramp leading to the bar.

Delvin and Vex were having a serious discussion. It was almost hard to catch what they were saying because they were trying to be discreet. I heard nonetheless, though, eavesdropping was a skill a thief tended to pick up whether or not they were aware of it. Apparently Vipir had mucked up a job and they were trying to work on paying off the guards. Also, there was the ever prevalent topic of how badly the Guild was currently doing. I never liked hearing anyone talk about that. It made me feel suddenly guilty, though I wasn't sure why. It was an unfortunate run of bad luck, as all. Delvin was convinced it was a curse, but everyone else believed him to be some crazy old-timer. I wasn't sure what to think.

Diverting my attention, I heard Vekel ask Brynjolf some questions about the Guild's well-being. It made my head throb. Seems like it was the talk of the Flagon and I really wished that wasn't the case. Nobody had noticed me, sitting amongst the abundant shadows, not making eye contact and just listening there. What I was hearing wasn't calming or informative, in my opinion, and I started to consider this a waste of time.

Standing from my chair, leaving my tankard still untouched, I went into the Cistern. Briefly I considered training but decided against it when I remembered the entire incident with Shadr's shipment. Nobody tried to speak to me as I walked to the ladder, entering Riften. I hadn't wanted to talk to anyone. For some reason lately my mood had been in a much worse state than it had been for months. Subconsciously I knew why that was. I just didn't want to let myself actually think about it. That didn't prevent me from dreaming about it though. Every single night.

As per usual, I got a few looks from people as I walked through town. Anyone in the Guild tended to get looks. We didn't try to hide our affiliation and we wore our same armor, which was identifiable on sight. The guards didn't try to arrest us or anything like that but they knew who we were. Wanting to avoid too much staring, I steered completely clear of the marketplace. Remembering vaguely that I had told Shadr to meet me near the entrance by the stables, I headed that way. He was sitting on the bridge leading to the back entrance of the Bee and Barb. He spotted me. I could basically see him tense up from the fair distance I was.

It had all been a set up. I had done jobs like this a dozen times before, and they always went without a hitch. Sometimes I would give a share to the Guild, other times I wouldn't, just in case there was a particular dagger that caught my eye over at Balimund's, or I wanted to treat myself to a few rounds of Black-Briar mead. This time I didn't plan on distributing a cut to them, even though I knew we needed it. On occasion that might make me feel guilty. But I would remind myself that a few hundred gold wouldn't be nearly enough to get us out of the rut we had been in for what seemed like decades now.

I reminded him about his debt, even though I could clearly tell from his disposition that he hadn't forgotten. His eyes sported considerable bags and he looked very drained. It seemed like he had lost sleep. At least some people were still afraid of the Guild. News of our gradual weakening had spread around and we were a much less respected name than before. He tried desperately to explain, to justify, to make excuses or alternate offers, but as per usual I was having none of it. I cut him off, simply advising that next time he not make his plans so public. My warning hadn't been the most subtle and he caught it. At a volume I would have liked to be lower he vocalized his realization at my interference and asked me vehemently for my reasoning, which I didn't provide. Simply stating again that I wanted him to pay up, I left him sitting on that bridge completely at a loss before walking away - into the Bee and Barb.

When I wasn't in the Flagon or the Cistern and I wanted to get away for a while, the Bee and Barb was my destination. It was always open, it always served drinks, the people there never tried to talk to me on account of the look I kept constantly on my face to ward them from doing so, and it always proved to be entertaining to listen in on the typical tavern chatter. I walked to a wall near the door and casually leaned against it, crossing my arms.

Vulwulf had been inhabiting this place much more frequently than he used to, and it was rarely in a sober state. That was odd to me. He was a noble man who didn't used to like behaving in such a manner or partaking in drunken revelry. Yet here he was, slurring his words and hiccuping like an oaf. I eyed him with an intensity that would've made anyone else notice the gaze, but he was too inebriated to. His cheeks were flushed as he called over Talen to ask for another round. The lizard tried to firmly dissuade Vulwulf, who only got very hostile at the mere suggestion of not drinking. I wondered what was wrong. Being in the Guild, it's natural to become a bit of a people person. I kept tabs especially on everyone in Riften. Vulwulf's daughter, Lilija, had gone off to war against the Empire. Would I have been right to suspect she had been killed? Now that the thought crossed my mind, the patriarch Snow-Shod had a dense air about him that suggested mourning.

Maramal then walked in, a look on his face that made me groan inwardly. He was going to preach to us about how much we were defiling Mara's wishes or something of that sort, he occasionally did that when in the proper mood, though he was promptly asked to leave. As I predicted, he started rambling on about how the Dragons reappearing was a punishment from Mara. After that I just started tuning him out, though he kept on talking. Eventually Talen-Jei ushered him out politely and the priest left, still mumbling things to himself. As he opened the door, exiting, someone else walked in. I wouldn't have noticed had I not heard him say, "Pardon me, milady," before the door shut. It could've been a variety of people; Grelka, a beggar, maybe even Haelga coming in to flirt with someone. But for some reason I had a feeling this was nobody that I knew.

I looked up, my gaze previously having been fixated on the floorboards, and I spotted her. She was clearly a Breton - easy to determine her race on account of her stature and light skin tone. Also she was a mage, like many Bretons tended to be. At least that was what I gathered, based on the hood she was wearing and the circlet beneath it that had an aura of red surrounding the silver. Enchanted. Besides that, however, she resembled a lightly-clad warrior, donned in simple studded armor and some leather boots from what I could see, though all of this was enchanted as well. I couldn't spot any weapons on her, which also led me to believe she relied solely spellcasting for combat. That sellsword mage, Marcurio, eyed her as she walked in. I could somehow tell from his expression that my suspicions were confirmed and she was a magic-user. He got a look on his face like he felt some sort of instant connection to her because of their matched magical abilities. I wasn't sure how that stuff worked. I could've been wrong. But I doubted it.

Keeping track of her in my peripheral vision, not wanting to seem strange by examining her for too long, I watched as she walked to the counter and sat on one of the stools. She struck conversation with Keerava, and the standoffish Argonian seemed to be genuinely interested in talking with the Breton, which was a rare occurrence. The only other person I had seen Keerava willingly interact with for more than two minutes was Talen-Jei, and he was courting her. This woman was a stranger. At least I assumed so. Unfortunately, the tavern was just loud enough so that I couldn't quite make out what the two were talking about, and I wanted to know more than anything for some reason.

Doing my best to put it out of my mind, I leaned against a nearby wall and crossed my arms. I had been very stressed for the past few weeks, what with the Guild's reputation decaying and our luck getting worse with each failed job, there were a lot of responsibilities on all of us in an attempt to get our struggling band back on its feet. Nothing seemed to work, though. I felt like even if we randomly got a million septims, we would somehow manage to screw everything up and not put it to effective use.

One thought kept coming back every now and again; things had been better when Gallus was the Guildmaster and not Mercer. He had been more patient and less brisk with everything and everyone. When he was in charge the Guild felt like more of a family, in my opinion. I was really new when he and Karliah were still around, but that time had been the best experience during my time as a thief. I had little to no qualms with anyone in particular in our outfit, but Mercer had always gotten a bit on my nerves because of how easily irritable he was. I remembered he had always been like that, even when things were good and he had no reason to be so hostile. Then Karliah killed Gallus, and his mood worsened. I remembered how bleak the Flagon and the Cistern were after Mercer returned with that news. Nobody wanted to believe it, but we had to pick a new Guildmaster if that was indeed the truth. Mercer was the only valid candidate, being the senior member and one of Gallus's closer friends. Karliah would've been the original choice, had she not killed Gallus.

"Are you Sapphire?" A voice spoke in front of me and I was startled, jolted from my train of thought. Blinking a few times and returning fully to reality, I looked up to see the Breton girl standing there, an eyebrow cocked. Her voice enthralled me. I wasn't sure why.

"Who's asking?" I was starting to glare, having a feeling that this woman's intentions weren't the best. With all of my various dealing I certainly must've had a good few enemies I wasn't even aware of. Part of me almost rested a hand on the dagger at my waist, but I waited.

"Not important, I wanted to talk to you about Shadr's debt." Thankfully, she sounded far from threatening. If anything I would've compared her tone to that of a whimsical child without a care in the world, though something about her face didn't mirror that tone. There was a scar on her cheek. It was oddly shaped and I couldn't quite determine what the source might've been. Not wanting her to notice my drifting eyes, I locked our gaze again. Her irises were purple, amazingly enough.

Clearly, Shadr had spotted this woman on her way into Riften and sulked rather openly. She reeked of purity and seemed a bit like a goody-two-shoes, so she must've spotted his emotional distress, questioned it, and was promptly fed with a load of rubbish from that desperate stable-hand.

I sighed, feeling very tired, not expecting or wanting to have this conversation, "Look, it's simple. I lent Shadr money to order some things he wanted, and the shipment got robbed before it got here. Now he's refusing to pay up."

Her eyes narrowed, and she appeared comically sleuth-like for a good thirty seconds or so before responding with a rather knowing tone, "Come on, lets not do this. We both know this is a set-up." Her hands went to her hips. She looked so young but most Bretons' age based on appearance was deceiving.

Was all this fuss worth it? Shadr just owed me two hundred gold, I could get that from one good job if I really needed it, and I didn't. It wasn't like I had pressing expenses to pay. Shadr was poor and didn't exactly have the most glamorous job in Riften. Though I wasn't getting a soft spot or anything like that for targets, the way that this Breton was looking at me made me feel... judged. It's hard to explain but I didn't want her to view me as some bully that swindled people out of their money. And I rarely ever cared about other peoples' opinions, this was odd. Either way, I decided to let this go. Shadr had gotten lucky. If he had complained to literally anyone else about this, and they had confronted me, it would've taken a lot more than a few sentences to get me to forget about the situation.

"Alright, alright. Tell Shadr he doesn't owe me anything." My voice wasn't as cold as it had been originally and my expression softened without me realizing it.

She stood still for a few more moments, lips crooked into a strange sort of pout, purple irises still narrowed at me, before she gave me a dazzling smile with amazingly white teeth, waved at me so ridiculously it almost made me laugh aloud, and left without another word. I maintained my position against the wall, staring at the door she had gone through.

For some reason I couldn't stop smirking.


	2. Skeptics

**I'm gonna try my absolute hardest to keep this updated sort of regularly, but if you know me at all, I'm _really _bad with that! So I apologize ahead of time for this potentially empty promise. It's writer's block and or lack of motivation. Reviews actually help get me going though, so please, if you've got the time, just leave one. A little teensy thing is more than enough and could help more than you know.**

"_We just keep getting lucky, don't we boss?"_

"_Yeah, not only do we get to eat the pigs, but they've got themselves a nice piece of ass with 'em." _

"_Bjorn said she was 'pure'." _

"_Well she's not anymore." _

I jolted awake, breathing unevenly, glad that the Cistern was always bustling with activity so that nobody noticed how distraught I was. It was almost impossible to calm myself down. My heart was beating so fast it was as if it was preparing to burst from my chest. My head throbbed and my eyes stung. Cynric was walking in my direction. The last thing I wanted was for one of the Guild to see me like this - to see my weakness that I tried _so _hard to keep dormant, to keep hidden behind my hostility and taciturn disposition.

I got out of my bed and went into the back area, staying as far from the Breton as was possible. He didn't pay any attention to me, thank the Gods. It was pretty late at night. Despite that most of us were used to basically being nocturnal, that didn't mean we didn't seek sleep whenever the option presented itself. Even if you weren't sleeping, not many people wanted to be exerting themselves by training. The large room was empty and I was very grateful for the much-needed privacy.

I sat down in the middle of the cluster of chests reserved for refining ones lockpicking skills, and I tugged a few picks from a pouch on my torso, clutching them with white knuckles. If anyone walked in, I could manage to make it look as if I had been practicing instead of composing myself.

The nightmares and the flashbacks were getting worse, more prominent and more frequent. They plagued me nonstop. It was getting so impossibly hard to endure. To that day, absolutely no living person knew of what had happened that fateful night on that secluded pig farm. Nobody had the faintest idea. I alone carried the knowledge and often times it felt like a literal, physical weight on my shoulders. It would slow my movements and make my knees feel unstable.

Alcohol might numb the intensity of such unfortunate recollections, but not always. Getting totally drunk would occasionally worsen it; my stupor causing hallucinations or making my troubled past morph with reality. I vividly remember a night as I emerged from the Bee and Barb, completely inebriated, stumbling back to the Flagon, I spotted a man on the docks. It was then that his body and clothes morphed, making him appear as one of those bandits on the farm.

I remember panicking, getting ready to defend myself though suddenly feeling so vulnerable and worthless. I approached him, spun him around and brought my fist slamming into his face. A guard approached us at the commotion with his weapon drawn, ordering me to stop, which I did. As I backed off the vision dissipated, and I saw a very confused Balimund placing his hand gingerly on his slightly discolored cheek. The smith's brow furrowed at me but he didn't look angry. He noticed my change of expression when I identified him, and he noticed that I was drunk.

That man is very, very kind, and as the guard was about to bring me to the dungeons, he dissuaded him from doing so, saying that "he had it coming" - that we had been arguing. He also said it hadn't hurt much, it didn't bother him. When I was sober and aware the next morning, I went to him in the marketplace, ready to apologize and thank him, but when he spotted me he simply held up his hand to prevent anything of the sort. Since then I've had a soft spot for the blacksmith, and if I'm ever offered a job in regards to somehow wronging him, I immediately refuse.

My emotions relating to the events at the farm were so varied it was astonishing. I was angry because it had happened in the first place, confused because of the bandits' reasoning, saddened because of my parents' deaths, traumatized because of witnessing their murders, guilty because I couldn't help them, and violated because of what they did to me.

That was what haunted me the most. What they did to me. Over and over again. While I screamed, and cried, and begged them to just _please_ _stop__._ When they hadn't even tried to restrain me while they slept, because they knew I was too bruised and hurt to try anything. I would just lay there, shaking in the dark, cold, hopeless and alone. So alone.

I buried my hands into my hair and gripped my skull tightly, as if that might help somehow squeeze the thoughts and emotions out of me. It didn't work. I hadn't much expected it to. But I was desperate. I was _so __sick_ of this never leaving me, no matter how much time passed or how many things I tried to forget it. I had bed other people since then, willingly. Though after every one of those encounters I felt... wrong. Sometimes it would send me into a catatonic sort of state for a day or so.

I stayed in the training room like that, just trying to get it together so that I could be seen by people again, which took hours. Finally, Thrynn entered to strengthen his sword arm and I took my leave. I didn't try to sleep again, though. Instead I stared at the statue of Nocturnal and repeatedly asked myself in my head why her luck didn't help with problems like mine.

I sat in the Flagon again and just listened. It wasn't as calming as it usually was, but it was familiar, and I felt like that was enough for now. Drinking wouldn't help. My tankard held plain water. I had moved to the darkest table available, wanting to disappear. I kept hearing their voices in my head, echoing, their laughter that had always sounded so evil. No matter how much I willed it, the terrible noises wouldn't stop. I shut my eyes as tightly as seemed possible. It did nothing.

Brynjolf was talking with Vekel and Delvin. I only half-listened, too unintentionally immersed in my own internal conflict. From what pieces I caught, Brynjolf had tried to recruit some new member in an attempt to curb our streak of bad luck. Whoever this person was, he seemed to have a lot of faith in their success. The others, myself included, were skeptical. In my state of mind I was convinced that nothing was going to get any better for any of us.

Brynjolf had tested the recruit with a petty job in the marketplace and now gave them the new task of making their way through the Ratway to the Flagon. That wasn't the hardest endeavor, there were some lowlifes that didn't quite qualify for the Guild that liked to skulk around in there. I wouldn't be surprised if this person didn't make it. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less at that moment. An intense headache was starting to assault my senses.

"What do you call that, then?" I heard Brynjolf speak, purposely louder than he had been before, wanting to get other people's attention too. It was successful, because it made me actually look at them instead of just listen. They were hovering around the counter and were all looking in the direction of the ramp Dirge was usually by. He was taking a short break at a nearby table.

It was almost too dark to see, but I quickly recognized who it was and my heart skipped a beat.

It was that Breton girl, the one that had asked me about Shadr's debt. She stood there, without even a slight scratch on her, still looking immature but also hardened at the same time. For some reason I had an intense compulsion to get away, not wanting her to see me. I genuinely had no idea why that was, but I also had no idea why she was there. If she had so willingly helped Shadr, then surely she at least slightly frowned upon criminal acts. Now, here she was, in the place where illegal meddlings were the sources of salaries and livelihoods.

Following my instincts I pushed my chair from the table I sat at and walked toward the Cistern. Unfortunately my seat made noise when it moved, scraping against stone. The sound caught her attention and she glanced in my direction briefly. We locked eyes and the contact was held for a few lingering seconds. I was the first to break it and quickly retreat through the false wardrobe, shutting it behind me as I exhaled shakily. My actions and feelings were confusing me. I was incredibly flustered, just from seeing her again. Admittedly ever since that day in the Bee and Barb, a week or so prior, she had been on my mind much more often than I would've expected. I was at the tavern every day, hoping she would come inside and I could see her again, but she never did.

I shook my head back and forth, rolling my shoulders and shaking my hands in the air for a second - as if trying to expel this oddness from my body. It was moderately effective. I proceeded to the Cistern.

Hoping training might clear my extremely buzzing mind, I approached the archery targets after retrieving my bow from the chest at the foot of my assigned bed. As I readied it, aiming, I felt a familiar gaze on me. Niruin was watching from afar, pretending to be busy with cooking. He often did this - watched you, judged you, and made it noticeable by snickering rudely to himself if you didn't get a perfect bulls-eye. Sometimes I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smirk off his face with my fist but I always restrained myself for a reason I honestly wasn't sure of.

Not in the mood to endure the silent criticism of my Bosmer co-worker, I returned my bow to its place and instead sat at the table near Mercer's desk, reading my worn copy of _2920, Last Seed, v8. _It did nothing to help with all of the oddities my emotions were struggling with. Eventually I just closed it and set it down, doing my best to focus on the sounds again: the drawing of bowstrings, the swinging of daggers, the quiet crackling of the fire from the cooking spit, and Mercer mumbling things to himself as he puttered over his papers nobody else was allowed to see. It calmed me down slightly. I massaged at my temples with my index fingers. My headache was aggravatingly persistent. I would rather have an agonizing throbbing in my skull than the sound of those bandits' voices in my ears, however. A sole chill went down my spine.

For a good few minutes, my mind wandered and gave me some peace. I put all of my efforts now into steadying my breathing, now paying distinct attention to the patterns of it, how deeply I inhaled and how long my exhales lasted. Over the years I had tried various tactics, finding that breathing exercises helped considerably more than the other things. Nothing stopped the nightmares though.


	3. Mysterious

"_Keep her still already, it's my turn." _

"_You just had her!"_

"_I didn't get to finish, you tugged her away!" _

"_Please... stop..."_

"_Shut up, bitch!" _

"_Thought she wasn't talkin' no more..."_

"_That's fine, I like 'em noisy. C'mon, we can have her at the same time." _

I woke up with tears in my eyes. They were so prominent it was nearly impossible to keep them down. Panicking, I shot out of my bed and walked to the ladder to exit the Cistern as nonchalantly as I could manage at that moment. Rune tried to pull me aside but when he gently grasped my arm I tugged it away so forcefully he nearly staggered. I climbed out of the underground chamber faster than I ever had before, praying that nobody followed me.

I pulled desperately at the chain and stumbled up the steps into Riften's small graveyard. It was late at night, all of the stars were out, and the air bit at my nose. I collapsed onto my elbows and knees, my face buried into my hands. The last thing I wanted in the world at that moment was to break down in tears, but it was so difficult not to. My breathing was labored and ragged. I tried to focus on it, to steady it, but I couldn't. It was too hard. Everything was too hard.

It was nothing short of a miracle, but I kept myself from sobbing. I hadn't cried in years and years, surprisingly enough. If possible I wanted to keep it that way. I wanted to get over it, I wanted to put it all behind me, to forget about it and move on. Sometimes it felt like I was making progress, like it was fading into the recesses of my mind, then I would have one of the worst nightmares yet and the cycle would just repeat itself.

Feeling more unstable than I had in a decade, I struggled to my feet, blinking down the remains of tears lingering in my eyes. Rune had at least slightly seen how shaken I was, he had tried to stop me from leaving. Out of everyone in the Guild I had bonded with Rune the most. We joined up at roughly the same time and were sent to do a lot of our first missions together. He knew little to nothing about his past and I pretended like I was met with the same predicament. Honestly I would much rather know nothing than recall what I did.

If I went back into the Flagon he would try to ask me what was wrong, understandably, seeing as nobody in the Guild had ever seen me express any emotion besides anger or impatience. Just the thought of receiving pity from him made my skin crawl. I hated that - the pity, the aspect of it. That was one of the main reasons I never told anyone, for fear of the look they would get in their eyes, for fear of the way their opinion on me would permanently be altered one way or another. I didn't want to do that. I couldn't.

My mind buzzed and every inch of my body ached. I needed to numb the intensity of this, it was overwhelming and detrimental to my functionality. Weakness was my least favorite quality I was cursed with. But it was dominating all of the others, overpowering them, consuming my entire persona. I was constantly feeling fragile, like I was going to fall over if a breeze hit me in the right way. I had nobody to talk to, nobody to rely on, nobody to confide in.

I had nobody. It was a lonely existence. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't cope anymore.

As the darker thoughts I did my best to keep dormant started to emerge once again, I headed in the direction of the Bee and Barb. I wasn't stupid. Getting drunk when I was this unstable wasn't a good idea. Not when these things were running through my mind. But being around people tended to help. It made me feel like I wasn't really there, like I sort of melted into the background and blended into the ambiance.

The marketplace was soberingly empty. The only sounds were the faint, distant footsteps of the few patrolling guards, and the water on the docks below. I didn't like this silence so I quickened my pace, yearning for the familiar bustle of a tavern.

The relief was instantaneous when I crossed the threshold into the Barb, though it still didn't help much. After closing the door behind me I pressed myself against it and took a single, deep, lingering breath, shutting my eyes for a few seconds. Everything hurt still. My composure was returning to me and I silently thanked every one of the nine divines for it.

"Rough night?" A voice I slightly recognized spoke from in front of me and it jolted me from my desperate attempt at relaxation.

My eyes shot open. It was the Breton again. The girl. Her light red hair was no longer concealed within a hood and it was let down. It surprised me. And absolutely entranced me. She looked gorgeous. Not that she hadn't been overly-attractive before, but something about the way those wavy locks framed her chiseled features, about the way her eyes shined like amethysts, about the way she held our gaze and the way her smile made vague dimples show in her cheeks - I had never been so captivated by another person in my entire life, and that realization startled me.

She held a beverage in her hand, one of the custom drinks Talen-Jei offered, I could tell by what it was held in. Her free hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and I felt myself tense up at how alluring that movement was. She looked so amused, so content, like she hadn't a care in the world. My eyes were drawn to her scar again and I suddenly felt like she was hiding a lot of different things.

Cocking a playful eyebrow at me she reached up, waving her hand in front of my face, "Hellooo?" She dragged out that word in a singsong voice, eventually lowering her arm, "Anybody home?" She giggled. The sound made me shudder slightly where I stood, "You seem pretty out of it Sapphire," I watched her expression abruptly morph from carefree to mildly concerned, which startled me as well, "Are you okay?"

_No. No I'm not okay. I haven't been okay for over a decade, and nobody knows why. _I didn't make these thoughts vocal. She didn't know me. Basically nobody did. At least not completely.

I didn't answer her. I felt like I couldn't. For some reason it became ridiculously hard to hold our eye contact, despite how enthralling her purple irises were to look at, so I turned my gaze to the floor. My hands clenched into white knuckled fists behind my back.

"It doesn't matter." Was all that I said in response. Now that my composure was returning, as was my normal personality. But was it really my normal personality? Or my defense mechanism?

She hesitated. For a good while neither of us spoke. She didn't know how to respond to what I said. She hadn't anticipated my answer. Whatever she had expected me to say - and I wasn't sure what that could've been - she had a planned response for, and now she couldn't use it. I had an ongoing feeling that she was very quick on her feet, that she had a silver tongue and was resourceful in social situations. She always knew just what to do when interacting with people. I supposed I just wasn't like others in the sense that I was closed off, of few words, and never let anyone befriend me. I resisted the urge to exhale shakily and instead returned my hands to my sides.

As soon as I did, my body tensed when I felt her warm, soft fingers latch onto one. I jumped slightly where I stood and my eyes shot to hers again. The expression on her face confused me so much; was it sympathy? Pity? Empathy? Concern? None of those things made any sense to me. I didn't know her. I didn't even know her _name._

But I wanted to. I so _desperately _wanted to. And that scared me.

I wasn't sure if I should pull away or not. It was comforting for some strange reason. The warmth from her hand made me realize that I was cold. Her body heat was gradually spreading into me and it made all of my nerves start to tingle. The uncertainty I felt in regards to backing up was too intense so I just remained still.

"Why don't I buy us some drinks?" Her voice took on an entirely new tone. It showed understanding, readiness to help me even though she didn't know what was wrong, and so many other emotions I hadn't at all expected her to express. I was truly at a loss.

When I didn't respond in any way, she smiled at me and gently tugged me to a nearby table. I let myself be led. She released her grip on me and when I didn't move, she gestured slightly to the chair, an incredibly sweet smile coming to her face before walking off. I didn't return it and just sat down, exhaling shakily as I did so. It felt like I had been holding my breath for years. I rested my head on my hand.

She approached the table shortly after, holding two mugs of something. She set one down in front of me and sat. I looked into the tankard. The liquid there was just unfamiliar enough for me to not be able to identify what it was. I didn't want to drink anything alcoholic. I had subconsciously decided that getting drunk was a bad idea at this point. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of her.

She noticed the way I was eying it and she spoke up softly, "Do you want something else?"

I looked back at her, still very easily drawn in by her eyes, "What is it?"

"Talen called it 'White-Gold Tower'. He basically said it's cream with some mead, and fancy flowery stuff mixed in too." My expression changed at the mentioning of mead. She caught it. She seemed to catch everything, "If you want, I can ask him to make one with just the cream and flower nonsense." I nodded very slightly at her. She twirled out of her seat theatrically, scooping up my untouched beverage in her hand before winking and saying, "Comin' right up."

I watched her approach Talen-Jei. He smiled slightly when he saw her. I had a feeling she had quickly acquainted herself with everyone in Riften and they had taken a liking to her, it was hard not to. I listened very intently and heard her mention something about an Argonian wedding band. I dismissed it as nothing and tried to figure out what was going on with this Breton. I didn't know her. Why was she seemingly so invested in what was happening in _my _life? Should I be flattered? Confused? Scared? Worried? Instead I felt an odd, uncomfortable combination of all of these feelings at once.

She returned shortly, carrying a new flagon in hand, sporting one of the most dazzling smiles I had ever seen on anyone's face. Sitting back down, she held it out to me. When I reached out to take it our fingers touched and when I moved to pull it to me, she tightened her grip slightly so the contact lasted longer than it would have initially. My body tensed. Finally, she let me have the drink. I did my best to maintain my moderately unmoved expression. It didn't work. She noticed and smiled wider, giggling again to herself.

"Have you ever been to Cyrodiil?" She asked me as she took a rather dainty sip from her mug. Despite her small stature I had a feeling she wasn't a lightweight when it came to drinking. I shook my head back and forth, "I've been to every province except the Summerset Isles. I don't have any plans on going there..." For a second I thought I saw a flash of a negative emotion on her face. It vanished before I could further identify what it was, " ...I've seen the actual White-Gold Tower in person. And let me just tell you, it is a _sight _to see. Tallest building I've ever been inside of, even though it was only for a little while. Never got to the top though. By the Nine, who am I kidding?" She laughed at herself slightly, shaking her head back and forth, "I would pass out if I was ever up that high! I'm such a klutz I'd fall off. Oh, what a way to die _that _would be. One for the story books, surely."

I didn't know what to say. I was listening to her, of course, her voice was just as alluring as he appearance and personality - it was hard not to pay attention when she spoke. But I still felt so weak and fragile, despite being near her. I wasn't sure why I thought that would've stabilized me in the first place. For some reason I was convinced that if I spoke, my voice would break or crack, or it would be at a pitiful volume I would be in no condition to raise. So instead I remained consistent with my nonverbal communication and nodded at her with the slightest trace of a smile I could manage. She wasn't satisfied with this response.

She crossed her arms on the table, tilting her head at me and raising one eyebrow, smirk not having left her face. I was getting vivid recollections from the first time I met her, when she talked about Shadr's debt. The way she had looked at me then was similar.

"You're not one for talking much, are you?" She asked. Ironically I didn't say anything. She sighed lightly, "That's fine, I get it." She leaned closer to me, lowering her voice to a near whisper, and I froze, "It adds to your... _mysteriousness._.." She trailed off and I assumed she had finished what she was saying, but she added something that made me tense up more than I ever have in my life; "...which is one of your very attractive qualities. But that's just my personal opinion."

My surprise showed on my face and I was in no state to keep it from doing so. My widened eyes seemed to be funny to her, seeing as all she did was chuckle at them. I blushed. My pale, Nord skin wasn't good at masking the warmth that came embarrassingly to my cheeks. She obviously noticed.

Standing a bit from her chair to better get to me, she leaned over the table slightly and poked one of my cheeks gently with her index finger, which just intensified the redness, "Awh, you're _blushing_!" Beaming basically ear to ear, she sat back down, looking incredibly pleased with herself, "That's adorable."

At that point, my jaw had dropped and my body was so tense I felt like I truly couldn't move. My eyes were glued to her and I had a feeling that effect was mutual, seeing as we hadn't looked from one another in what felt like forever. I was still thoroughly unable to speak, now even more so than before, once again leaving her to make whatever conversation she pleased. After a few dragging minutes of silence between us, she broke it.

"So, 'Sapphire', huh? What, is that your code name or something?" I didn't want to talk about that. Not with her, not with my terrible nightmare still lingering in the recesses of my mind. Everything that had transpired with this Breton since I walked into the Barb had managed to make me nearly forget about that entirely. Nearly. Now it was all coming back at once and it was rather jarring. I broke our eye contact frantically.

"Not exactly." Was all that I said, astonished I had even managed to speak that much.

"It's not your real name, though?" Her curiosity was palpable. And unwanted. I didn't answer and I didn't look at her. A nearly overwhelming compulsion to flee from her and seek refuge somewhere else was beginning to emerge. She was analyzing me, trying to figure out why I was so reluctant to tell her what she wanted to know. She wasn't acquainted enough with me to make a complete evaluation like she assumably could do so easily with other people. Not to mention I was apparently rather "mysterious".

Just as I was getting ready to push myself out of my chair and take my leave, she spoke up, "I'm sorry, this is embarrassing, but I haven't even told you my name yet." That caught my utmost attention, more so than anything else could have at that moment. Though I didn't bring my eyes directly towards her, they moved more in her direction to show her that I was listening intently. "Liriette. Liriette Jenic."

That name was beautiful. Never in my life had I heard a name more fitting to someone before. _Liriette..._ I found myself repeating her name over and over again in my head, loving the way it sounded.

"...Could you tell me yours now?" Caution was evident in her tone, so at least she wasn't being totally inconsiderate. She sensed my discomfort, she detected nearly every emotion I went through while we sat together. Her curiosity had won her over, though, I could tell. The apprehension was mildly appreciated, "...I'm sure it's really pretty. Come on, just tell me. I want to know what to call you."

I clenched my eyes tightly shut and shook my head back and forth slightly before shooting to my feet. It startled her a bit. The last thing I said to her before I rushed out the door was simply; "Call me Sapphire."


	4. Wager

**Thanks for the feedback on this, I really hope it does well. I work really hard on it, and I would appreciate some reviews? Really, anything helps. Pretty please?**

"_What did you do with the bodies?" _

"_Buried them, what'dya think?"_

"_Boss wants to know where." _

"_What for? He wanna burn 'em or something? No one's gonna notice these farmers gone, they're nobodies." _

"_Says he wants to know where they are so he can dig 'em up if he needs to." _

"_Well why would he wanna do that? What good are those cadavers to anyone now?" _

"_It's cuz of the girl. He says he can tell that she's still got some fight left in her. In case she starts getting violent, he can show her their bodies, remind her."_

"_We killed them right in front of her, you really think she 'forgot' about it?" _

"_No but that means she's still angry. Who wouldn't be? She's not doing anything now cuz she's in shock I think. The Boss is smart like that, he thinks showing her folks all covered in bugs n' dirt'll disorient her more, so we can have her for longer." _

"_Yaknow_,_ the Boss should be working a real job, he's got a thinkin' brain, he's not like us. Heh, we'll get to keep this little beauty for as long as we want." _

I had fallen asleep in the Flagon, at a table, my head against the wood. Nobody had noticed, it was too dark and too quiet. This time the nightmare didn't make me jolt to my senses in a cold sweat, hyperventilating and barely able to calm down. It just made me sit up, slowly, almost cautiously, with my entire body feeling as if it were made of immovable weights.

Every single night. It was _every __single_ _**night**__. _No breaks. No relief. No mercy. I never got a moments peaceful sleep. I felt like I could never relax. I was constantly reminded by different things I saw in my environment. It was relentless. Persistent. It wasn't ever going to go away. That realization hurt. I buried my face into my hands, head throbbing, not knowing what to do. I was so sick of not knowing what to do, how to act or how to feel. How to fix it. How to cope.

My mind flashed to what happened the night before. With Liriette. _Liriette. Her name. She told me her name. _Liriette Jenic. It wouldn't leave my head. It seemed to be permanently imprinted in my mind. It was so beautiful, just like she was. I was becoming more and more aware of the attraction I had to her, and it startled me. Since the incident at my pig farm I hadn't felt any sort of romantic attachment towards anyone. Prior to that there was a boy, a courier that occasionally stopped by, and I had taken a slight liking to him. We rarely interacted, he only showed up once every two months.

After what happened with the bandits I felt like if I ever got close to anyone, I would just be violated again. In one of my fits of wanting so desperately to put it behind me, I slept with a random man I barely remember. I took control, wanting to be in charge for once, but it didn't make me feel any better. Since then I only ever bed people on whims, usually when I was drunk. No actual feelings ever emerged from these encounters.

I hadn't felt any legitimate emotional attraction to a person since that courier. Liriette was unexpected. I wasn't prepared for someone like her to suddenly enter my life. She was spontaneous, adventurous, immature but only at the appropriate times. She was fun and interesting, seasoned and ambitious. And she was gorgeous. Stunning. Surely one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, perhaps the most beautiful. And she was interacting with me.

It almost felt like she was seeking me out. She didn't have to talk to me in the Barb the night before, she could've easily ignored me and I wouldn't have tried to speak with her. But no, she had struck up conversation and seemed genuinely concerned when she detected my emotional distress. It meant a lot more than I led on, despite retaining my closed off personality and keeping my walls up very high. What caught my attention, however, was that they weakened. She almost broke them down. I almost gave into what she so wanted, I almost told her my name, one that hadn't passed my or anyone else's lips for over a decade.

Why did she get to me so much? She was a stranger. I knew nothing about her besides her name, race, and that she had once been to Cyrodiil. Nobody could get through to me. I was unreachable, incurable, but she had gotten _so_ close. Just a little more prodding, if she had grabbed my arm to stop me from leaving, maybe even just called out to me before I got out that door, I would've cracked.

Immersed in my thoughts I wasn't listening as intently to my surroundings as I normally did. So when I sighed shakily, running my hands down and off of my face, I spotted none other than Liriette walking from the Ratway entrance in the direction of the Flagon. It made me tense up. Did I want to see her? Talk to her? Why was she here again? Why did she keep coming here? If I stood to leave then, she would see me just as I slipped into the Cistern. I remained in the shadows, praying that nobody noticed me.

Brynjolf spotted her and stood from his seat at the counter. Liriette approached him and they started talking. I was too drained to try and listen in. But I found myself staring at her face, entranced. I knew that if I really wanted to remain undetected I shouldn't be looking, she would sense it, but I couldn't turn from her. The way that her jawline was so defined and chiseled, the way her full, alluring lips moved when she talked, the way her defined brow would shift with her expression as she spoke, the way her skin was practically glowing at all times - no matter the light, it was just overwhelming. She overwhelmed me.

Brynjolf turned slightly, walking a bit in another direction, and she followed to continue the conversation. Her back was to me now. It was my only chance to get away without her seeing me. And I took it.

Remembering the sound my chair made last time when it moved, I maneuvered my way out of it so as not to make noise. She didn't notice my standing. Keeping her in my peripheral vision, I quickly walked to the wardrobe and pushed open the false back, basically jumping into the tunnel that led to the Cistern in my haste. Breathing rapidly, I turned and shut the hidden entrance behind me.

My feelings toward her seemed to be extremely volatile. Annoyingly so. They didn't remain consistent long enough for me to determine my exact opinion on her, or to discern how I should conduct myself while she was around. So my instinct was to run from the situation, like I did with many things in my life. It was just easier. My go-to tactics for a lot of things were avoidance or denial. Or both.

Clearing my throat, the sound echoing slightly through the stone expanse I stood in, I proceeded to the Cistern. Deciding to ignore Niruin this time, I got my bow and went to the archery targets, not greeting or even looking at anyone. Rune had yet to mention the night before. He had either forgotten about it, hadn't seen anything, or had the courtesy to not question something I wouldn't want to talk about. Either way I was relieved. I didn't need that worry added onto the weights I constantly carried. Rolling my shoulders at the thought, I raised my bow and practiced my aim. It was shaky. I cursed every time I got too far from the bulls-eye, glad nobody else was training at my side.

I started listening again, seeking familiarity, structure. Cynric mumbled things to himself as he looked through a book near the ladder to the exit. I could slightly see Vipir burn a piece of meat he had been trying to cook. He wasn't the best with that. He blurted out an obscenity when he touched the charred food, shaking his hand for relief. I returned my full attention to the targets. Niruin seemed to be distracted trying to explain something far too elaborate to Thrynn, who I was sure wasn't paying attention.

The focus of my eavesdropping was abruptly drawn to Brynjolf, who had entered the Cistern without me noticing. He beckoned Mercer to wherever he was standing. I still didn't look at them but I had the vague feeling that I was being watched. Being very interested in what was being said I drew my bowstring, an arrow notched, but never let it go. My eyes were gradually drifting as the conversation panned out. Something about inducting someone officially into the Guild. It couldn't possibly be who I was thinking... could it?

At the thoughts I completely lost my ability to even feign focus in my training and I lowered my bow, returning a sole steel arrow to its quiver. Despite the intense fear of what, or more specifically who I might see, I turned to look towards my superior Guild member and Guildmaster. They were both staring at the same person, Brynjolf with faith and encouragement - almost like a parent looking at their child, and Mercer with a rather obvious sneer of distaste.

It was Liriette. She was listening intently, politely, hands behind her back as she sported a ridiculously stiff posture. It was almost as if she was being comically obedient, possibly noticing Mercer's rudeness and not much appreciating the treatment, retaliating in her own way though she knew nobody would notice - it pleased her. A smile almost came to my face at her personality, at her quirks. I always seemed to spot them and it made me wonder if anyone else did. She hadn't noticed me yet. I should take my chance, get away, blend with the other passing Guild members before she scanned the area and identified me. It wasn't like she didn't know I was affiliated with the Guild, she just wouldn't necessarily know for sure if I was there. I would've liked to keep it that way, though still unsure why that was.

Shaking my head slightly back and forth, I decided to move my training to the more secluded part of the Cistern, the chamber also containing some practice dummies and locked chests of varying difficulties. As I headed in that direction I forced myself to keep my gaze in front of me, not wanting it to drift, not wanting to draw her attention, but unfortunately my will weakened for just a second and I stole a single glance.

She was looking back, ignoring the fact Mercer was talking to her, staring dead at me. Our eyes locked. She looked... curious. Maybe even excited. A smile crept to her lips, though there had been traces of one prior to that. I could tell that she was containing herself. If she had been in different company her more childish ways would have emerged, and she would've waved frantically or something of that sort. The fact that she had to try so hard to remain professional was very endearing to me. She was so appealing in so many different ways it was nearly unreal.

Our eye contact lasted for five lingering seconds, I counted, before I turned away and continued in the direction I had been going. I heard Mercer talk again, his voice a bit more firm than before, sounding like it was spoken through clenched teeth as he managed out a grudging question; "Do I make myself clear?" I had gotten too far away to hear Liriette's response, which I regretted slightly. I had a feeling it wouldn't be as respectful as Mercer would've liked. She hadn't looked back at him, I knew that much, because I felt her eyes on me until I turned the corner out of view.

She knew I was there now, that was for sure, but I was... indifferent? Maybe just too apprehensive to allow the emotions from this to seep into me, not in the mood to deal with them. Whatever the case was, I started to focus on my breathing again as I approached a dummy and trained my shots at its head. Taking a very long time with my aim, when I let the bowstring go the arrow still went right past my target and slammed into a wall, splintering on impact. I lowered my weapon and sighed dejectedly.

"Nice shot." I jumped where I stood, incredibly startled, looking toward the tunnel entrance to this training area. Liriette stood there, one hand on her hip. She sauntered towards me with a smile on her face. I wondered if she was actually judging me and silently prayed that wasn't the case.

Remembering the night before again, I recalled how little I had actually spoken. Feeling as if I should make it up to her I gave a verbal response to her sarcastic comment, "You could do better?" It was based off of pure suspicion, but for some reason I felt like she wasn't an archer. Then again, Liriette refused to be predictable.

She cocked a thin brow at me, "Is that a challenge?" I felt different when she was around. In a way I couldn't explain. Almost... safe?

"It's whatever you see it as." Though I didn't return her smile my expression was much softer than it normally was. She might not've been able to tell, though, not being around me for extensive periods of time.

She chuckled, amused at the scenario she was presented with, and got closer to me. We weren't too far apart. I made no movement to make the distance larger. In fact I fought urges to make it smaller. I watched as she crossed lithe arms, "How about a wager?"

"Oh? And what might the terms be?" She had me genuinely curious. I tried to prepare myself for what she might say but subconsciously knew that wasn't possible.

She took yet another step closer. My heartbeat was quickening, "I shoot at that dummy right between the eyes from all the way across the room. If I miss, you get to pick something for me to do..." The way she said that and the glint her eyes took on made my spine become riddled with chills. She was being suggestive and I wasn't sure how to react to it. My expression somehow managed to show calm, maybe even amusement, "...and if I hit it, you'll do something for me." Another step forward. We weren't far apart now. Her voice had lowered at those last words, taking on a tone that made me quake slightly in my boots.

Curious and extremely tempted by whatever she might've had planned, I immediately agreed, "Alright. Here," I extended my bow to her and was surprised when she dismissed the gesture with a wave of her hand, like I was being ridiculous.

"Solid bows are _so _last era." She said sarcastically. Before I knew what was even going on, she had conjured some sort of purple ball in both of her hands, flicked her wrists, and formed a wisp-like bow and quiver out of thin air. It resembled a weapon of Daedric make. I wondered if she could control its appearance. Either way, that feat of magic had astonished me. I was a Nord and didn't much care for all of that arcane nonsense, but the way she conducted herself with it made it seem interesting, useful and practically miraculous.

She took notice of my reaction and smiled wider, "What, never seen a bound bow before?" Scoffing slightly to herself she turned her attention to the dummy, slowly drawing her entrancing weapon, "Gods, you Nords are all the same."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, acting as if I was incredibly offended even though I knew exactly what she was referencing.

"Hush!" She used two fingers to point to her eyes, and one to point to the dummy, "Concentrating. Don't cheat, Sapphire, or else I win by default." She threw me a wink that made my body shake.

I watched her movements. They were skilled, firm, strong and even. I noticed muscles appearing in her supple arms as she drew the bow back farther, making sure the shot would be accurate. She shut one eye, narrowing the other, and just as I was about to make a playful comment on her being slow, she let the bound arrow fly. I followed its path in anticipation.

Right on target. If that dummy had eyes, that arrow would've hit straight between them. I sighed and stared at the ground for a few moments, defeated fair and square. My assumption on her archery skills had been inaccurate. I probably wouldn't have been able to make that shot, but then again I wasn't the best with a bow. I watched in awe again as she performed an intricate hand movement - her conjured weapon and quiver vanishing. Her gaze then moved to me, the smile on her face so smug it reminded me of Niruin. I glared at her with a smirk of my own before shaking my head back and forth, laughing to myself.

She stepped closer to me, "Beat you." Her voice was quiet. Basically a whisper. Our eyes locked. Something was there. Something I couldn't describe. It caught me off guard though, regardless. She was shorter than me, being a Breton, but not by much. She was tall for her race. Despite the height difference I felt that she was completely in control.

Maintaining my composure by nothing short of a miracle, I managed to speak coherently, "That you did... now, what would you have me do?" Her answer to that question could've been anything, and the possibilities scared me.

She giggled adorably, childish traits emerging although she still looked so... mature. I might've even described her expression at that point as predatorial. She moved closer to me, the space between us only a few steps from being nonexistent. My breathing was starting to quicken and become audible but I had no say in the matter. She took notice of that.

"It's simple, really..." She leaned even closer, impossibly closer, and I was convinced she was going to kiss me. It was then she abruptly moved her head to my left instead, her lips pressing against my ear, making it vibrate as she spoke, "...just tell me your real name."

My stomach dropped so suddenly I almost gagged. I backed away immediately, my new expression completely changing the tone of this entire interaction. The air became dense and heavy. I couldn't determine what she was trying to show on her face but she did appear conflicted. My fists clenched. I didn't know why, but I felt myself coming unhinged.

My previous self was returning - the closed off one, the one that never let anyone in, the one that became hostile easily. It was all an act. In reality, I had wished _so _much that she had asked me to do anything other than that. Absolutely anything else. I was getting angry, but it was mainly just all of my spontaneous negative emotions wanting to become one thing instead of dozens.

Glaring at her intensely, I watched her brow crinkle in worry and what might've been regret, "I don't really know you. I don't even really know anyone here," Not wanting to get too mad at her, not wanting to become so livid I could barely see straight, I started walking toward the tunnel to leave. But I knew that she wouldn't leave this alone, and I was _so_ confused as to _why_ that _was_. Forcing myself to stop, I didn't look at her when I next spoke, "Why do you care anyway? It's not like we're family. This is a business."

I had a feeling that if I looked at her face I would just feel overwhelming guilt. Her voice was shaky and uncertain, something I never would've expected this confident woman to feel in her life, "Something had to make you this angry." She sounded sincere, and almost scared. I struggled to keep it from fazing me.

I scoffed, starting to walk forward. She was following me. I hadn't expected any different, "Is that all I am to you? That angry girl in the Thieves Guild?" We entered the Cistern and I prayed she didn't try to continue the conversation in front of all the others. I was heading straight toward the ladder. She was persistent, still at my heels every step of the way.

"Not at all, Sapphire." There was something behind her words. I was too angry to try and detect what it was. When I felt one of her warm, soft hands gently grasping my arm in an attempt to make me stop, I jerked myself away forcefully and kept going.

"We don't know each other." I managed out. Finally reaching my destination I climbed the ladder two rungs at a time. She was _still _following me. A few people had glanced at us as we had walked through the Cistern and I hated that - the looks.

I emerged into the small crypt entrance and pulled on the chain as soon as it was possible to reach it. I felt like it took forever for that coffin to scrape out of the way. She had already scaled the ladder by the time it was open, and before I could rush up the stairs like I so wanted to, she grabbed my hand. This time her grip was more firm, I couldn't escape from it as easily. The longer it lasted, the more I felt my anger becoming what it truly was - trauma, depression, hopelessness, despair, loneliness, guilt and bereavement.

"Just wait, please. I don't want to leave this on such a sour note." Her voice alone was almost enough to dissuade me. I didn't want to put my eyes on her because I knew my will would shatter entirely. "Look at me, Sapphire." I stopped trying to get away, finding it pointless, but not wanting to give in to what she wanted. To an extent I was slightly angry with her, whether it was justified or not, because she just kept prying in places she really shouldn't have been.

"No. Let me leave. I can't be around you." My words were harsh and I was aware that they were perhaps too much so, but my instinct when in a situation that I felt was threatening was to close myself off and get away.

For a second, a fraction of a second, her grasp weakened at just how cold I was being. When I noticed this and tried to take advantage of her temporary falter, her grip returned so tightly it nearly hurt. I groaned audibly and rolled my eyes to myself. Why was she so stubborn?

"I'm sorry." Never in my life had I heard those words actually sound true. But when she spoke them, when my hand was in hers, when I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes from the flood of emotions I was dealing with all at once, I knew it was genuine. I wanted to keep my anger there. Ready. It would keep her from the topic. I didn't know what else to do.

My resolve was crumbling at an unreal rate. I prayed she didn't say anything else to further weaken it but these prayers went unanswered, "I didn't know this would make you so upset. I was just curious, please believe that." She squeezed my hand.

It hadn't been her fault. I knew it wasn't malicious. I just got scared. Being this furious took energy that I didn't have. Finally, I sighed, letting my shoulders sag. Gently closing my eyes my head lolled on my neck, aiming now at the ground.

"Do me a favor." Was all that I said, my voice quiet.

"Yes, of course, anything." She responded immediately.

Doing as she had asked before, I opened my eyes again and turned to face her. She looked so distraught and worried that my anger wouldn't fade, that I wouldn't ever speak to her again. It was endearing but also confusing to know that she cared so much.

"Please, never, _ever_ ask me about my name again." I sounded so desperate. I guessed that I was.

"I won't. I promise I won't." Her hold on my hand weakened again now that she knew things were more or less resolved between us. I had a sudden compulsion to get away from her. Not saying anything I just gave her a sort of nod, showing we understood one another, before proceeding up the steps and walking off.

I didn't hear her follow me, but I did hear the scraping of the stone coffin returning to its previous position.


	5. Kept Track

**Thanks so much for the reviews guys, it seriously means a lot. Just please remember that if you have the time, just write something! Literally _anything_ likes makes my day, I swear. **

"_Don't you think we should be restraining her? She almost bit me yesterday, and that would've been um... not great for my masculinity if you know what I mean." _

"_She's a little girl. What's she gonna do against all of us? Besides, look at her, she's so weak, not just in the body but the head too. We've got into her brain, she won't leave. If we opened this door up right now she wouldn't try to get out." _

"_Wanna bet?" _

"_Shoot."_

"_I bet that the Boss'll have your hide if she gets away cuz you were being stupid."_

"_Shut up! We ain't got nothin' to worry about! Watch, I'll do it right now." _

"_Would ya look at that?"_

"_See? What'd I tell ya? Not so much as makin' a move to get out here. Didn't even flinch." _

"_How long've we been here, d'ya think?"_

"_Gettin' to be eleven days now."_

"_When're we gonna head out?"_

"_What, you wanna go? We haven't had a girl like this for a long time, they're hard to come by. Nobody even knows she exists, it's a dream come true." _

"_Aye, you're right... well don't ya think we should at least give her some clothes?" _

"_Now what's the point in that? We're just gonna rip 'em off." _

It was basically routine now. These nightmares happened every day. I don't want to say that I was getting used to them, I just knew that they were coming no matter what. I couldn't avoid sleeping though. Unfortunately, I had to endure this, I didn't have a choice. I woke up rather calmly compared to the other times, but I was far from at ease. My outward appearance showed a composed, normal Sapphire, but the inside - the part they couldn't see - was dealing with agony.

I just got out of bed slowly and stood up, feeling rather unstable. I headed to the ladder. Like I said, it was routine; wake up, feign composure, get out, try to calm down.

I didn't pull on the chain to get outside. Instead I decided to stay in the small chamber beneath the coffin. It was secluded and soundproof. Breathing shakily, strength faltering, I pressed my back against the nearest wall and let myself sink to the ground.

"Oi Sapphire! I've got a bit of everything 'ere, why don't ya take a look?" Brand-Shei overzealously gestured to his wares like they were extravagant treasures you couldn't find anywhere else, when in reality they were just odds and ends strewn about in no particular manner. I liked that elf for a reason I couldn't determine, but I didn't let that show. I wanted everyone to think that I wasn't someone you could speak to, or if you did, you should watch what you said.

I just looked at him, giving him a smile which was an incredibly rare occurrence. He appeared taken aback, probably not having expected me to respond at all, before he returned my small smirk with an ear to ear grin.

It had been three days since I last saw Liriette, and despite the fact we had left one another on moderately good terms, I had a feeling something about our last conversation was preventing her from seeking me out as she normally did. I thought of her very often. Had I unknowingly warded her away? Was she worried she would offend me again if we spoke? I wondered what she was up to, how she was doing.

She was _in _the Guild now, officially. I knew she was, the way Mercer had talked to her. I wasn't sure how to feel about it. It meant I would be seeing her more often and might even be working at her side on jobs. Despite the fact that she was a member I had yet to see her. Was it a mere coincidence? Were we somehow conveniently managing to miss one another at just the right times, one of us leaving the Cistern while one entered? I wasn't sure. Yet I wanted to see her. Be near her.

I had been trying to find traces of her, of where she might've gone, for a while. I didn't ask around, though, not wanting people to think I cared about her. Maintaining my reputation of a person that didn't ever get emotionally attached was high on my list of priorities. The only clue I had was to go to the stables. There I could figure out if she bought a horse, or took a carriage somewhere.

I exited through the city gates and stepped outside, the guards closing the large wooden barrier behind me. It had been nearly a month since I left the city, not having business outside of it to tend to. It put me into a very brief fog I emerged from by slightly shaking my head back and forth.

I approached Sigaar. He had gotten off of his carriage to feed his horse a carrot. He noticed me and he could tell by the way I was walking with purpose that I wanted to talk to him. For good measure I made my gaze intense and kept it on him.

"Can I help you with something, Miss?" He asked in his thick Nordic accent.

"Yes, actually, I was wondering if you had given a ride to someone recently. I'm looking for her, and I've no idea where she may have gone." I stopped walking towards him.

"Well might you be more specific? I have a good amount of customers. Their faces get morphed together sometimes." He tugged a rag from his pocket and wiped some dirt off of his hands.

"Right, sorry, um, she's a Breton. About this high," I held my hand at where her head would've measured had she been there, "Looks to be a mage, small stature, paler skin..." I trailed off when I noticed Sigaar's eyes drift from me to my right.

"...amazing hair, gorgeous eyes, clearly charming and very hilarious..." I turned around at the sound of her voice, seeing Liriette standing there. Our proximity was closer than I had anticipated it to be. She had a smirk on her face that made my chest feel lighter, "...need I go on?" She cocked an eyebrow at me playfully.

"I think I found her." Sigaar said. His attention turned to someone from Riften coming to ask for transport.

She intertwined our fingers together and pulled me farther from other people, so that we wouldn't be as easily overheard. It made me feel much more at ease to see her in person, to know she was there, safe.

"Long time no see." I finally spoke. The past three days had been much more nerve-wracking than I ever would have expected. We weren't close. She had no obligation to keep me up to date with everything in her life, or to tell me where she was going when she went out of town, or what her plans were. I didn't know why I had thought she would do those things.

She let out a small giggle, "Long time?" Her grip on my fingers faltered and her arm drifted back to her side, "What has it been, two days?"

"Three." I corrected her far too quickly and I regretted it as soon as it left my mouth. My eyes left hers for a moment or two until she gently reached forward, her hand on my arm now.

"You kept track?" She sounded so incredibly flattered it made my heart swell but my chest constrict. Her skin was indescribably soft.

"No, no, I just..." It was hard to keep the emotions from my face. She noticed everything, so I was sure she noticed this. Her eyes showed such compassion it was endearing, yet startling.

"You don't have to answer that." The smile on her face was so genuine. Not a trace of falseness showed through in her movements or her expression, and that was something I hadn't been able to say about anyone else in my life at that time, "Well, I'm back now. Probably for a while, too."

Again, my answer came too soon, almost before she had finished speaking, "Good, that's good..." Embarrassed at my unanticipated haste I asked a question in an attempt to keep her from commenting on it, "...what um... what kept you?" I realized after I had said it that it still seemed I was focusing on her brief absence. I cursed myself internally.

Her hand left me and it made me feel a bit hollow. As soon as the contact was broken my body instinctively moved forward ever so slightly, not enough to be noticeable unless you were paying distinctly close attention. Whether or not she was can't be said for certain.

"I was running a few errands over in Whiterun. And I just recently finished up on a rather important job for Brynjolf, it'll get me a much more solid position in the Guild." She smiled, " This may even make Mercer view me as more than dirt."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up." Her grin broadened and she laughed contagiously, earning a small chuckle from me.

"Do you mean to say, that even after being in the Guild for as long as you have, and after being such a valuable, resourceful, contributing member, Mercer doesn't appreciate you?" She stepped slightly forward. It made me tense. She took on the same expression she had after she had beat me in our small archery wager.

My smile had yet to fade, "Well I wouldn't say he doesn't 'appreciate' me, I'm treated the same as any other member of the Guild. He's... moody. Strictly business. And no matter what you do – you could steal an elder scroll from the White-Gold Tower - he won't praise you." Everything felt lighter when she was around. It was like everything was okay.

"He sure doesn't sound like world's best boss." She said. I scanned her up and down briefly, assessing her equipment. It had changed. She still wore her circlet, but her hood was down around her shoulders. Her red hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, though it was just tight enough to slightly hold her skin taut, emphasizing the perfect bone structure her face sported. Something I immediately noticed when I actually looked was what she wore on her hands and feet – the boots and gloves of the Thieves Guild uniform. Seeing her in those made me ecstatic.

"He isn't..." I could look at her forever. That scared me.

She reached up to some of her inviting, captivating locks, tucking a few stray ones behind her ear. The smile hadn't left her face, "Why is it that he _is _the boss, then? Why not Brynjolf, or Vex? Delvin, even?"

Old memories of Gallus's time came into my head. Karliah did as well. Despite not being overly friendly with either of them, I remembered that Karliah had taken a liking to me. She was the one that recruited me. Thought I would be good for the Guild. Said that I had "the walk of a thief". She was the one that suggested I start honing my skills with a bow. I had done that, gotten very good with one while she was around, but after everything happened, whenever I touched a bow I got a strange feeling in my chest.

I took a deep breath in preparation for the potential length of the conversation that was to follow, "You've been in the Guild for a little while now. Have you heard of Gallus yet?"

She took another step forward. Closer to me. I was absolutely enthralled, so much so that I almost didn't fathom what she said.

"How about you be the first one to tell me?" Her voice had lowered again.

"He was the Guildmaster before Mercer. A great man. Better for the job, if you ask me," I leaned slightly closer, making my voice quieter as if I was telling a secret, "And anyone else in the Guild will say the same thing."

She gasped theatrically, "Really? The Guild has some drama then, doesn't it? Well I suppose no group is truly void of that."

I loved being around her. It's hard to explain, but it just felt right, "I don't know if I would call it 'drama'. You see, Gallus was killed. It was a terrible loss, nobody expected it in the slightest. We were thrown completely off kilter by it."

"May I ask what happened?" She sounded a little cautious. As if worried I wouldn't want to talk about it, when in reality, it had nothing to do with me.

Without actually saying yes or no, I answered her, "Another member of our Guild, a bit higher than Mercer's rank, murdered him. Nobody ever could have predicted it. It caught us _so_ off guard. We were in total disarray for nearly a month afterward."

"Oh, wow." I was greatly intriguing her. Clearly she knew little of the Guild's history in general, let alone this particular branch in Riften, "And what became of this member?"

Karliah was very rarely brought up among the Guild, even then, after all that time had passed. Despite this I was reminded of her rather often. By small things. She had introduced me to an entirely new way of life, then she was yanked out of it so abruptly it was as if we had lost two vital Guild members – like they had both died. Being able to talk about her was... odd. But not an unwelcome opportunity.

"Her name was Karliah. She was... one of the best of us, really, and we were all aware of it. She and Gallus were some of the wisest, most reliable people I've ever met in my life. Even..." I looked away from Liriette for a moment. For some reason talking about Karliah was becoming more difficult than I had anticipated it to be, "...Even now... I don't understand it. Why she would kill Gallus. Those two were inseparable. I think they were involved with one another, actually, though it wasn't clear. Mercer came back from a job. He had been with the both of them. He told us what happened. And Karliah was banned from the Guild, although she never tried to show her face there again."

There was a pause. I had said a lot. I just assumed that she was taking it all in. When I moved my gaze back towards her, though, I was surprised. Her eyes were narrowed. She was trying desperately to tell what I was feeling, to gauge what she should say in response to me.

Finally, she spoke, "...Sapphire, I..." Her brow crinkled, "...she meant something to you, didn't she?"

I didn't know what she was implying. Something in her expression made me feel like I needed to say what I did next, "She recruited me into the Guild. It was upsetting when she left so suddenly. She was my mentor."

"Oh I see..." She almost looked... relieved. That confused me. She confused me, "...I understand that. Mentors are important. I have a few, actually, but that's another story." Our eye contact broke for the first time in a long time, on her behalf. She looked down for a few dragging seconds, "Um..." Inhaling audibly, her gaze returned to me while mine hadn't left her, "...I need to head back to the Cistern. Brynjolf needs to know that this job is done, he's probably waiting for me right now."

"Alright, uh, do you want me to come with you?" I asked, sounding a lot more unsure of myself than I had expected to.

Her smile returned, her dazzling, alluring smile, "That'd be great."


	6. Personal Matter

"Sapphire!" Liriette's voice was familiar to me then, and I recognized it immediately. We had returned to the Cistern with one another, talking the whole walk over, even going through the Ratway so there would be more time to spend together. She had already cleared the whole thing out so it was far from dangerous.

When we entered the Cistern she had told me to wait in the area while she talked to Brynjolf, so I took out my bow again and headed into the back training room. After about a good half an hour of failed attempts at hitting the dummy, she had walked in, although she had called my name down the tunnel before entering it. I lowered my bow as she ran up to me, smiling broadly, although looking a bit nervous. Adorably nervous.

"Yes? Are you done here? Did Brynjolf give you another job?" I asked. She stopped her approach fairly close to me.

Not answering any of my questions, she spoke cautiously, "Okay, Sapphire, I'm going to ask you something very important." It was a bit hard to tell with the dim lighting of the Cistern, but I had a creeping suspicion that she was blushing.

"Okay, go ahead." I set my bow down on the nearest surface, also taking off my quiver. She watched my movements intently, looking positively interested in even the smallest of my actions. It made my body feel lighter, a refreshing relief since it was usually so uncomfortably heavy. A small smile was coming to my own face, her happiness contagious, and her evident nerves endearing for an odd reason.

"Alright, so, you're not obligated to say yes to this and I'm not necessarily expecting you to, it's a lot to ask, and I understand if it takes you a little to give me an answer..." After the brief ramble that left her very quickly - a jumble, she took a well-needed deep breath before vocalizing the real question, "Will you come with me?"

This caught me entirely off guard and that was clear in my reaction. She looked absolutely terrified of what I would say, which was sweet. It had surprised me so much I was spending most of this time just trying to process what was going on.

"Uh, um," I shrugged a bit, the smile on my face becoming broader with each passing second, "Come with you where, exactly?"

She let out a nervous laugh, one of the most alluring sounds I had ever heard in my entire life, "Oh Gods I never told you, did I? Um, Maven Black-Briar wants me to run a job for her in Whiterun. I'll probably be gone for a while... I was just... wondering if you wanted to... come with me." Her certainty of herself was fading fast.

"Come with you...?" My own uncertainty was very prominent as well. Annoyingly so.

Her face fell so quickly it startled me. Her brow furrowed, her smile faded, she looked away from me and her nervousness even left her. Had I said something wrong? I gave her some time, to explain herself, anything. But she did nothing. She just stared at the floor, as if there were something there when in reality it was just glistening cobblestone.

"Oh, I uh..." She cleared her throat and shook her head back and forth, "...I have something else, to do, actually. Don't know how I forgot about it... it's a more personal um... a more personal matter. I should go alone." She looked at me again. The glint to her eyes, just everything about her disposition made my chest constrict. I was confused. I didn't understand what was going on.

"You should... go alone?" I crossed my arms, shifting from foot to foot, showing my confusion to the best of my ability with solely my expression.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I only asked you because I forgot about the..."

"...the personal matter, I understand." I finished her sentence for her, since it for some reason seemed hard for her to speak of it at all. I wondered intensely what it was, but I felt I was in no position to ask.

"Right... I um... I should head out soon, though. I've heard Maven Black-Briar shouldn't be kept waiting." All signs of nervousness had faded completely, as had signs of happiness, childishness, and carelessness. She wasn't herself. It greatly concerned me. I wanted to know what was wrong - what had caused such an abrupt, radical change of behavior.

"That's very true. She runs everything in Riften. You should fear her more than the law..." I trailed off. She stopped looking at me again. I took a step closer, tilting my head a bit, wanting to return her gaze although it didn't work, "Liriette, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." That response was artificial and given too quickly. I could tell by the defensiveness that she wasn't going to give any different answer, and I should stop trying before I unintentionally aggravated her.

I resisted the urge to sigh, "...So, you're leaving then? To Whiterun?" I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to stay. I wanted to be around her. But I didn't say that.

"Not strictly Whiterun, no. Solitude as well. Perhaps a quick run to Winterhold if I'm in the area." She still didn't look at me. It was almost causing me physical pain. I just wanted her eyes on me again.

A combined trip to Winterhold and Solitude would take well over a month. The realization that I wouldn't be seeing her for such a long time was sobering and it took actual effort to keep the new emotions from seeping into my expression. I had been majorly affected when she had been absent for three days. How would I cope with a month? Or two weeks? Or even a single week? None of these worries were made verbal. I didn't want to make her feel guilty when clearly she was upset about the personal matter she needed to tend to.

"Well... alright. I'll um... see you whenever you get back." I kept my face blank but it was just too hard to keep these things from altering my voice. She looked back up at me. She heard the difference in the tone, in the inflection.

She hugged me. She moved forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pressed our bodies flush against one another. I tensed up significantly, not having expected that in the slightest. The motion seemed cautious. It took me a good few seconds to react. Just when she started to withdraw from the attempt at contact, I returned the embrace with as much willingness as I could express. I vaguely heard her inhale sharply at that, and it made my grip tighten ever so slightly.

I'm not sure how long it lasted, but my heart was swelling more and more with each passing second, so much so I thought it might make my chest burst open. She let me go first, taking a deep breath as she did so. Our eyes met.

Without another word she turned around and started walking toward the tunnel exit. I just watched her go, not making any movements to pick up my bow again and resume practice. Before she left my sight, she stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at me. She had my utter attention and I think she knew that.

"I'll write you."

She went through the tunnel and passed out of view.

**Sorry for the shortish chapter this time around, guys, but I'm really busy right now. I just moved, and have been absent from school for a good while, so I'm up to my eyes in makeup work. I'll do my very best to keep this updated, but I'm super stressed, and I might not have time. Thanks so much for the reviews though, they make my day a lot better :) I'll be listening to any suggestions given to me and constructive criticism is always fantastic. **


	7. Signature

I shot up in my bed with a sharp gasp, realizing quickly that I had just had another dream. When it became a nightly occurrence my reactions lessened in intensity, though granted, it did depend on the specific contents of the nightmare. My head began to ache and I sighed shakily, reaching up with one hand to dig my fingers into my hair – grasping at my skull as if to still the hectic thoughts in my brain.

Liriette had been gone for over two months. Seventy-two days. I had been keeping track very closely, since every second seemed like a minute, every minute like an hour, and every hour like a day. I missed her terribly. I just wanted to see her. More than once I had considered hiring a carriage or purchasing a horse to go after her. In reality I knew it was rather unlikely for me to encounter her, since I had no real idea where she was. She could've been in Winterhold, Whiterun, Solitude, or any settlement in between. The uncertainty kept me in Riften, despite how badly I wished to interact with her.

Another thing that lingered heavily over me was the ongoing mysteriousness of Liriette's "personal matter". Why did it make her so incredibly upset? I wanted to know, but I didn't plan on asking. That would've been unspeakably rude. Especially after I had asked her to stay out of my own private business. All I wanted to do was help her - make her feel better. Even though it had been for mere minutes, seeing her in such an odd state made me feel incredibly protective over someone I barely knew. If I had any say, I never wanted to see her in such disarray ever again.

The Cistern was oddly empty. Normally there were at least two members wandering about, tending to their own business, but now there was only one; Rune, sitting at a table near the ladder exit to Riften. From what I could see he wasn't doing anything of particular importance, just sitting there, holding a tankard in both of his hands and staring into it, taking a sip every now and then. I watched him for a good while and he eventually noticed, being an aware person. He looked over at me and our eyes locked.

"I see you're awake." He spoke cautiously, haltingly almost. After his few words he took a long swig of his drink.

I rubbed at one of my eyes with a clenched fist, feigning physical fatigue when in reality my drained energy was a result of my emotional distress I continuously struggled with. I didn't feel the need to fake interest when I interacted with Rune. We were closer than I considered myself to be with the others. He understood my behavior, he was around it the most.

"You've been out for a while now..." He watched me intently as I stood up, slowly, my joints aching, and I began to approach him, "...the others are all in the Flagon. Thrynn made a bet with Dirge to see who could push who into the water first. They're evenly matched. It got boring." He took another drink. I had a feeling now that whatever he had was alcoholic. His words slurred ever so slightly.

"My sleeping schedule hasn't been the best lately," I leaned against a wall near him, crossing my arms after briefly adjusting the gloves on my hands – feeling disheveled, "I think I may be becoming an insomniac."

He simply stared at me for a few dragging moments of tense silence before turning his gaze to the wooden table, his eyes now completely fixated on the surface. It was as if I had disappeared or something. Rune wasn't one to be distant. I had known him for a long time. He also tended to steer away from drinking too much, for a reason I wasn't entirely sure of. Now it seemed as if he had been tossing back mugs of mead for hours. My brow furrowed.

"Rune are you alright?" I shifted my weight to my other foot, altering my voice and letting the smallest amount of concern become evident in the tone, "You aren't acting like yourself."

At my words his attention was drawn to me once again. Knowing that he had processed what I had said, I decided against speaking more and unintentionally putting pressure on him. You could tell from my expression that I was listening intently, but also that I was more than ready to be patient.

He let out a long sigh, reaching up to his face and running his palm down it briefly. As he idly scratched at his scruffy chin he turned from me again. I wondered if it was pointless to keep trying to talk to him but I decided to give him more of a chance before leaving.

"I paid a man to try to investigate things from my past," His voice had steadied. It was as if this topic of conversation had sobered him up on its own, "He had been gone for so long I assumed he was onto something, or that he was after a promising lead, but I just got word from him saying that the faint trail he was following had gone stone cold."

Everyone knew of Rune's enigmatic past. It was a touchy thing to bring up, however, since knowing so little did tend to upset him. Personally, I didn't understand that, but I was aware my opinion was biased, considering the contents of my particular experiences. Rune was a good man. I appreciated his integrity and evident loyalty to the Guild. Seeing him distraught like this made me feel great sympathy, an emotion I rarely dealt with to this extent.

Seeing as I couldn't relate to what he was feeling in any way whatsoever, I genuinely wasn't sure how to go about possibly comforting him. I wasn't very good at that sort of thing in the first place.

Nevertheless, I gave it a go, "I know this must be frustrating to you, Rune, but I think you've got to start being more realistic with yourself. You've been chasing after your past for so long that you've got this image of it in your head, this idealistic dream that you've convinced yourself it consisted of, and your hopes are so high the only way they can go is down." I was only mildly uncertain of what I was saying. I went over it in my head a few times after it had passed my lips.

His eyes returned to me once I had stopped talking and they were narrowed ever so slightly. He waited a few more seconds, probably expecting me to elaborate, and he spoke up when I didn't, "What are you trying to say?" His voice was hollow, his expression utterly unreadable.

I tried desperately to decipher it as I continued, "I'm just letting you know that sometimes people's pasts are far from what they wish them to be. It's rare that one can say without lying that they're content with everything that has happened in their lives. It's a very feasible possibility that whatever you do manage to find out in your search will be something you could've easily gone without knowing."

He gently pushed his mug from him with three of his fingers, not having moved his intense gaze from me, "It sounds as if you're speaking from experience, Sapphire."

"I'm not." My response was immediate and overly-firm.

He hadn't expected my voice to be so set. Looking slightly ambivalent he pinched the bridge of his nose briefly, "So you're entirely at peace with whatever it is your own past consists of?"

That wasn't a question I had anticipated and it most certainly wasn't one I was ready to answer. The silence that followed his inquiry was incredibly awkward. The air became dense and heavy, weighing down on us both. His shoulders sagged ever so slightly and he rolled them once or twice. It was almost as if he was getting embarrassed, having realized that he shouldn't have asked what he had, though he wasn't exactly sure why that was.

Right when he opened his mouth to most likely withdraw what he had said, I spoke up, having his complete attention, "No." With that I walked past him and straight for the ladder, ready to leave and most likely head to the Bee and Barb. As my right hand wrapped loosely around one of the rungs, I said one more thing, "I would give anything, Rune, absolutely anything to not remember my past anymore." I began to climb, "Who knows? You may be lucky."

He didn't speak again. I hadn't much expected him to.

The day was rather frigid. A cold breeze was what greeted me as I emerged from the crypt entrance and into the small, familiar graveyard. Like I had said to Rune, I was becoming a slight insomniac. I was sleeping and waking up at odd times, so I wasn't surprised to see that the sun was mere hours from setting – it was late afternoon. I reached up with one hand, running it through my hair as I sighed shakily and shut my eyes for a few moments, successfully composing myself. I willed the previous interaction with my fellow Guild member out of my head as I made my way to the tavern, steering clear of the marketplace subconsciously.

I sat down in a chair nearby the staircase leading to the upstairs area. Nobody greeted me and I hadn't wanted anyone to. I didn't have friends there. I didn't necessarily want any, either. I had acquaintances. Nobody else dared to get any closer than that. I gestured to Talen-Jei to approach me, which he did. Briefly asking for whatever drink he recommended, I started to resort to usual tactics. I listened.

It was a quieter day. Vulwulf wasn't there for once, and I knew that because I didn't hear his occasional belch or hiccup, and I couldn't smell him either. He was acquiring an odor, losing his sense of hygiene as well as his previous dignity after his daughter had passed. I found out that had been the cause of his personal decline. I wondered how the rest of his family was taking it – I didn't see them much. Though it was vague I heard that mage Marcurio muttering things to himself about soul gems. Keerava blurted out a curse and I heard the sound of glass shattering on the floor. Talen-Jei rushed over to help her, also trying to quell her rage in the process. I knew it would take a little while for me to receive my drink.

"Excuse me?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from the entrance to the tavern near the marketplace. Wanting to identify the speaker and not just listen for once, I turned in my chair to look at the door. A scrawny Breton man stood there, a small satchel on his belt and a sole parchment in one of his pale hands. The commotion of the Barb stopped briefly at his entry.

"Yes? What is it?" Keerava slightly tried to force a hint of pleasantness to her scratchy voice but it didn't work, her anger showing through rather conspicuously.

He cleared his throat, a bit rattled by the Argonian innkeeper's gruffness, "I'm looking for someone called Sapphire. Got something I'm supposed to deliver." At the last words he pointed to the piece of paper in his hand.

He was a courier, I could see it now. Limber, small, and he had a barely noticeable sheen of sweat on his boyish face – most likely from running extensive distances. His satchel probably contained other letters for various people across Tamriel. When he had said my name my entire body tensed up. I knew barely anyone out of Riften. What he held could only be from one person, and the thought of that almost sent me shooting out of my seat, but I remained still with sheer willpower.

"That's me," I spoke up, my voice sounded a bit more rushed than it normally did, though at that moment I didn't care, "I'm Sapphire."

The tavern thankfully regained its ambiance as the courier approached me, arm outstretched. I took the parchment from his hand with as much composure as I could muster, giving him the faintest trace of a smile. He said nothing before walking out the door. The people of Riften knew better than to stare at me, and I was thankful that no eyes observed my every move as my shaky hands unfolded the paper, trying their best not to be too noticeably frantic.

My heart swelled at the sight of very attractive handwriting, if handwriting could even be described as such. It was cursive, one could tell it was written rather quickly though it was still decipherable and pleasing to the eye, rushed but graceful. It swooped and cascaded with elegance. My eyes quickly shot to the bottom of the parchment, in search of a signature, and I felt my entire body start to tingle at the sight of a name; _Liriette Jenic._

Taking a deep breath, I laid the letter down on the table and did my best to read it calmly.

_Sapphire,_

_I cannot express my apologies for taking so long to write to you, but you must believe me when I say that it genuinely slipped my mind. I've been very busy, you see, I've a lot of things to tend to in a lot of different places. Though it has been moderately frantic and stressful, I'm glad to say that it hasn't been unproductive or dull – far from it, actually. I've met several new people, some of whom have agreed to accompany me on my journeys throughout this harsh land. They're sure to come in handy later on and they're truly wonderful to be around. Our nights spent around the campfire are ones I won't soon forget. Though I do wish that you were here! This may seem odd, but I've missed you. That also might not sound true, considering my untimely sending of this letter, yet I assure you it is. I'm forgetful, and that's all, I promise. I've lost track of time, by now I've most likely left your thoughts altogether though I understand that. I'm not the only one that's busy, you've surely your own tasks to deal with. As I write this I am sitting in the Winking Skeever, a tavern in Solitude. I've spent a good few nights here now. I regret to inform you, however, that I still have to go to Winterhold and Whiterun once more before returning to Riften. I'm going as fast as I can manage to. It's been much longer than I anticipated, and, once again, I apologize for that. My new companions are eager to meet you, they're quite the bunch, and I do hope you'll take as much of a liking to them as I have. I don't have the time or the space on this paper to describe them to you as much as I would like, so you'll have to wait and meet them in person._

_Sincerely, _

_Liriette Jenic_

I read through the letter probably three or four times before I forced myself to fold the paper back and tuck it into my pocket with care. The relief I felt was overwhelming. Part of me had started to think that she may have died out there, or that she had simply forgotten about me and stopped caring. Either way, I was overjoyed to find out that she was both alive and thinking about me rather regularly. Perhaps I was on her mind just as much as she was on mine? That I doubted. Yet I hoped it came close.

I wondered who she was traveling with. I wondered how she was faring. I wondered where she was at that exact moment. I wondered what she had to do in Winterhold, Whiterun and Solitude. I wondered if she had dealt with her mysterious "personal matter". Although my mind was now buzzing with hundreds of new questions, at least my main one had been answered. She was okay.


	8. Aurora

I sat idly on a railing attached to one of Riften's many wooden bridges. It was late into the night and I was, as per usual, reluctant to go to sleep. Actually, it would be more accurate to say I was reluctant to _try _to go to sleep. It didn't come easily. Often times I felt myself greatly lacking energy, though I was too scared to rest for fear of the nightmares that would surely come.

Although listening to my surroundings was one of the tactics I tended to resort to when in emotional disarray or if I was overwhelmed, one thing that never failed to calm me was looking up at Skyrim's aurora. The colors there were nearly indescribable, some of which I had never seen before. They made the night sky one of the most beautiful things anyone could ever see in their lifetime. They made me grateful to be living here, in this province, where I was gifted with such a view every time the sun set. The stars were captivating as well, and the combination between these two things made the night sky practically impossible to look away from. I let my mind wander and I became very unaware of my surroundings – which wasn't something that happened often.

It had been eleven days. Eleven days since I had received Liriette's letter, eleven long, dragging, seemingly endless days. All this time away from her was beginning to actually hurt. My chest felt constricted constantly and I hadn't been able to take what felt like an effective breath in over a month. Still I didn't understand my odd attachment to her, a woman I barely knew or interacted with, and it scared me just how much my life seemed to be thrown entirely off balance without seeing her regularly. It was detrimental to productivity, which was bothersome. I liked to get things done. She was unknowingly preventing me from doing so, and she wasn't even around.

Rune and I hadn't spoken since that day in the Cistern. Something about that conversation just left things between us tense and uncomfortable. I didn't want to endure the inevitable awkwardness that would arise from interacting with him, so I simply avoided the contact and it seemed he was doing the same thing. Though I knew my own reasons, his were still mildly a mystery to me. It could've been from a lot of things. Although I tried not to think about it - distracting myself with running jobs or something, whenever I would see him in the Flagon or Cistern and we would avoid each other as if we were on fire, my head started to hurt.

I was so startled I nearly lost my balance and fell forward into the canal when I felt a pair of hands around my face, soft palms covering my eyes gently. Instead of fumbling I thankfully just tensed up, my hands gripping the railing for support as I tried to figure out what was going on. Someone was behind me, that was obvious, but who? They were close. I could very slightly feel their breath on my neck. What did they want? This wasn't threatening at all, though it made me nervous nonetheless.

It was then that whoever the person was shifted slightly, and I felt warm, inviting breath on the back of my ear as someone muttered playfully, "Guess who?"

As soon as they spoke I knew who they were, not needing anything else to determine their identity. The realization startled me and caused dozens upon dozens of emotions to surge into my body all at once, some of them contradicting one another and making my skull throb.

"Liriette!" It was too hard to hide my excitement. Normally I would've at least attempted to keep these emotions to a less intense, obvious level, but I simply couldn't help it. Though it wasn't true I felt as if it had been years since I last laid eyes on her, and the one thing I wanted most in the world was just to look at her once more.

Frantically yet carefully I turned myself around on the railing and hopped down, she having removed her hands once I had said her name aloud. When she saw the smile on my face a familiar one spread across hers, and my stomach fluttered.

She still looked absolutely gorgeous and I hadn't expected any different. Whenever we saw one another it didn't tend to be at night, and something about the way the starlight shone off of her hair, about the way you could slightly see the reflection of the auroras in her already beautiful irises, she was irresistible. Nearly. I kept myself back although it was considerably difficult.

I wanted to hug her but felt as if I wasn't able to, like she would reject it, or it would seem forced. Unwanted. Everything I felt was overwhelming me, a majority of these emotions I didn't understand, which made me frustrated as well. She looked me up and down briefly. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been staring so intently into her eyes. It made my entire body feel lighter, so much so I felt like I may float into the air.

"Long time no see." She said playfully, her grin becoming wider. At that she reached forward, gently brushing her hand across my arm for a second. I could tell that she didn't understand how much seeing her again meant to me.

Since she was referencing our last reunion, I decided to follow her lead, "Long time?" She was amused by what I was doing and she let out a soft, warm chuckle, "What has it been? Eighty days?" I knew that wasn't true. I was just wondering if she did.

Her head aimed downward, her demeanor shifting to adorable shyness as her cheeks slowed a very faint blush. She maintained our eye contact but it seemed difficult for her, "Eighty-three."

We had both remembered the situation perfectly, since we were reenacting it down to the word. That was so sweet. It wasn't just me that was so affected by everything that was happening between us. There was something deeper in this. I felt it. Did she? To the same extent as I did?

After granting myself a few more seconds to look at her, to further memorize the perfection of her face, I continued our ongoing verbatim, "You kept track?"

It was then that she stopped reciting and answered truthfully – a one-word response that meant so much to me it was nearly unreal; "Yes." Her voice was totally set, totally firm, and all vague signs of nervousness she previously showed were gone. She looked back up at me, only faint traces of her smile now left, her expression more serious. So much was shown through her eyes. Much more than I could properly interpret.

Whatever words I tried to speak got caught in my throat, instead a few stammers left me. I was taken aback. This showed what she had said in her letter had been true. She hadn't forgotten about me. She had tried to get back to Riften as soon as she was able. Since I was genuinely unable to coherently respond, a silence spread. Yet it wasn't uncomfortable in an odd way.

Eventually she looked down - our eye contact breaking - and took a deep breath, "So, um... I want you to meet some people. You don't have to right now, though, not if you don't want. We just got here. I told them to wait in the Barb when I saw you..." She smiled again, reaching forward and nudging my shoulder, "...you looked pretty pensive, all alone on this railing." I shrugged at her, still feeling unable to speak, "...What were you thinking about?"

Once more I was at a loss for words. Did I want to tell her that I had been thinking of her? About how long it had been since I'd seen her? About how much I had missed her? About how I didn't understand why it was I missed her? She had partially let me know that I was on her mind while she was away, would it be a bad idea to tell her the feeling was mutual?

I inhaled before I said anything, "Uh... how the Guild's doing." That didn't seem legitimate. But it was the best fake answer I could come up with one the spot.

The silence that followed worried me, I was afraid she wouldn't believe what I had said and that she would start prying. But after what happened with the entire situation with my name, I had a feeling she understood that if I was hiding something, it should stay hidden.

"Right, we're struggling, huh?" She restrained herself. That wasn't what she wanted to say. I was grateful for how considerate she was. She could tell that whatever had really been on my mind wasn't something I wanted to talk about, "Don't worry. I have a feeling that we'll crawl out of whatever rut we're stuck in really soon. Okay?"

I took a step forward. It was barely noticeable, barely classifiable as a step, but I just wanted to be closer to her, "Okay." If we _did _work out of this streak of bad luck, I had a feeling that she would be a major reason for it. Already she had the respect of everyone in the Guild except for Mercer, after she did the Goldenglow job without a hitch we were all impressed. Who knew what else she was capable of?

"So, about my friends..." She pointed her thumb in the direction of the nearby Barb entrance. I had completely forgotten about that.

"Oh! Oh, right, uh..." I wasn't the best with social interaction, but I could easily tell that Liriette desperately wanted me to meet whoever these people were. And I would do anything to see her smile, "...I'd love to meet them."


	9. Company

Liriette led me by the hand into the Barb, and the contact made it difficult for me to focus. I was going to be meeting new people, but I would be around others that already knew me, or at least had a vague idea of me in their heads. My reputation as someone to fear - someone whose bad side you really didn't want to be on - was a priority for me to maintain.

Sometimes it was difficult for me to keep my defense mechanism of barely speaking and constantly glaring going, because it was tiring, in truth. Being bitter and unhappy every second of every day just made my body feel heavy, and if I ever thought too much about what I was doing with my life my head started to hurt. But I had established my personality in this city already and it was too late to change it. I wasn't sure if that bothered me or not.

We crossed the threshold into the tavern and the clearly excited Liriette shut the door behind us. Despite my slight anxieties of first encountering these companions of hers, she reminded me that it was worth it just by being so ecstatic. I frequently told myself in my head that they must be good, if Liriette was so enthusiastic about them and if they were willing to travel with her all the way from those cities far to the Northwest.

Initially upon entering I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary, but that was from a very brief scan of the area. Upon further inspection I picked out three people that normally weren't in the tavern or even in Riften, so I naturally assumed they were who I was about to be introduced to.

One of them was sitting on the bench near the other entrance – next to that mercenary-mage Marcurio, and they were talking up a storm. It was a girl, and she had her hood up so it was difficult to determine much more about her from the angle I was at. Her hands were an ash-like grey, confirming her race to be Dunmer. She wore robes – blueish ones, and her hood matched. She was very obviously a magic-user.

The second was a rather gruff looking Redguard man that I never would've thought of speaking to had I not been directly asked. He sat alone, a tankard in one of his large hands, a dagger in the other. He was idly picking at pieces of wood on a table with the blade. Keerava and Talen-Jei didn't seem to notice, either that or they were so intimidated by him that they said nothing about the very mild vandalism. Resting against a wall next to him was a very large battle-axe. It looked... ominous for a reason I couldn't determine. There was some blood on it that was old and dried. Almost like it was soaked into the iron permanently.

The last person I didn't automatically recognize was a man that looked to me a Nord. He was the first one I had spotted since he was the most prominent presence of the three. He sat at the counter of the bar, trying and failing to have a successful conversation with Keerava about who knows what. Despite his futile attempts he seemed to be rather relentless, perhaps not noticing just how unwilling she was to speak with him at all. He seemed young. If not young, just inexperienced. It wasn't necessarily the way he looked that gave off this vibe, but there was a sense of unfamiliarity about him. I had a strong feeling that he had never been to Riften and he was extremely unacquainted with the dangers that Skyrim fostered.

Liriette said nothing for a good minute or so. She could probably tell that I was taking my time examining these people before I actually spoke to them. I knew that it probably wouldn't do much good, or help me if trying to find conversation, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible. Though it didn't show through in my mannerisms, or at least I hoped it didn't, I was nervous.

Finally, the entrancing Breton at my side gestured for me to wait where I stood, which I did. I watched her as she first approached the Dunmer girl, who noticed and turned to face her. At this I got a better look at the mage's face, confirming in a more solid way that she was in fact a Dark Elf. Even though she had seemed so immersed in her conversation with Marcurio, when Liriette spoke her attention was immediately drawn away, leaving a rather disappointed Imperial alone at his bench as the two headed in my direction.

When she got close enough, the Dunmer extended her hand and smiled warmly at me. I of course reached forward and shook it, her grip more firm than I had anticipated it to be for some reason. To my relief she spoke up first, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you! I'm Brelyna Maryon."

I returned her smile to the best of my ability, still aware that there were everyday Riften citizens inhabiting this tavern and I didn't want their opinion on me to change. I needed to keep that in mind, "I'm Sapphire." I wasn't sure what else to say. She assumably knew my name already, it was probably redundant to tell her, but it was all I could think of responding with.

Our hands simultaneously retreated back to our sides, and I was worried that an awkward lapse in conversation would occur, but Liriette chimed in – to my incredible relief.

"I met Brelyna at the College of Winterhold, I recently started my studies there. We helped each other with some things, and once she found out I was going to be all over Skyrim instead of living in the College like the others, she asked to accompany me," She flipped some of her red hair over her shoulder theatrically, "I guess I'm just irresistible."

Brelyna playfully shoved the Breton though she was still smiling, "Oh don't be so full of yourself!" She turned her gaze back to me at her next words, "I just recently came here from Morrowind. I want to see more of this province, and I took the first opportunity I saw, is that such a bad idea?"

Liriette feigned genuine offense as she gasped and placed one hand over her heart, "And here I thought you had taken a liking to me!"

"I-" The mage looked clearly at a loss for words and I saw a blush come to her cheeks before she finally just audibly groaned, "-You're hopeless!" Liriette just laughed at her companion's frustrations – very amused with herself.

Sighing lightly, the Breton regained her full composure and looked over to the Redguard. Surprisingly enough he was already staring at us, probably having noticed our interactions and realized who I was. He was seriously intimidating me. I couldn't tell if it was from his larger stature, his huge battle-axe, or just his standoffish personality, but I was a little apprehensive to meet him. I could vividly picture myself saying the wrong thing and successfully making him hate me forever. Liriette didn't say anything and instead just beckoned him over to us, her trademark smirk still glued to her flawless face.

He got out of his seat slowly, leaving his tankard but taking his large axe with him once he sheathed his dagger. It must've weighed a lot more than he made it look, but his arms were so thick I doubted it mattered to him. His expression was utterly blank, though I had a feeling that the only emotions he ever outwardly displayed were anger, frustration or annoyance. Despite all of that, however, subconsciously, I had a suspicion that he was nicer than he let on.

When he was in reach I wondered if I should offer to shake his hand. Since he made no move whatsoever to initiate that interaction I was too nervous to try myself. He didn't say anything, and I guess if I had to pick definitively, he looked sort of expectant.

Pushing aside the part of me saying not to, I forced myself to speak up, "Hello, I'm Sapphire." Since a handshake would seem delayed at that point, I gave him a brief, awkward, small wave.

Still nothing. Did he want something else from me? Had that not been sufficient enough of an introduction? The last thing I wanted was to make this man upset, I felt like that wouldn't be good for anyone's life expectancy. Part of me wanted to look at Liriette – as if to non-verbally request help, but I refrained from doing so considering how he had held our intense eye contact since he had stood up.

He then did what I had expected him to the least. He smiled at me. It wasn't forced, or malicious, it was genuine and warm. Immediately I felt the pressure that had been settling onto my shoulders lifting. Though the expression didn't last long, that it had happened at all was more reassuring than anything else could've been. He returned my strange little wave with his own, partially mocking me, though it wasn't offensive. If anything it was slightly comical; seeing such a large hand performing such a feminine gesture.

His voice was deep and raspy, "Ahtar."

I was about to open my mouth to say something else when surprisingly, the last remaining stranger burst into the conversation – literally – basically jumping into our small little semi-circle and interrupting in a way that for some reason wasn't rude. My eyes automatically moved to him without much say in the matter, his sudden entry almost startling. I let my eyes flit very briefly to Liriette, who looked aggravated, though in a non-serious way. I had a feeling that her relationship with this man was that of consistent childishness.

"Hi, sorry, couldn't help but notice all of you over here and I felt like I was missing out. Wouldn't want to be out of the loop now would we?" A smile was plastered to his pale skin. At a closer proximity I was sure he was a Nord. He had flowing red hair that somehow managed to make his face seem even more boyish.

I heard a sigh from Liriette – one of irritation, though she wore what looked to be an amused smirk, "No, of course we wouldn't." The man addressed the Breton with nothing more than a glance before opening his mouth to speak again, but he was cut off, "Sapphire, this is Erik 'The Slayer'."

Erik's cheeks lit with a very slight blush and he waved one of his hands to dismiss her words, "T-That's my mercenary name, Liriette, you know I truly go by Erik." One of his hands moved to the back of his neck briefly.

"Right, my apologies. I just assumed you would want some credit for the impressive extent of your creativity, as all." Her voice reeked of false innocence and sarcasm. Erik glared at her, still smiling to himself.

"Do correct me if I'm wrong, oh so graceful Miss Jenic, but wasn't it you who got horrendously drunk back at the good ole Frostfruit Inn and nearly fell into the fire pit?" He crossed his arms, clearly pleased with himself.

I looked at Liriette, finding a small smirk coming to my face as well when her cheeks turned completely crimson, her expression morphing into that of embarrassment. I hadn't ever seen her genuinely ashamed before but she hadn't expected that to be his response, that much was obvious.

"That's irrelevant." She muttered under her breath before clearing her throat, eye contact breaking with 'The Slayer' as her gaze moved to her feet.

"Oh wait now, I'd like to hear this story." Brelyna spoke up, smiling at Liriette's dismay. It wasn't an emotion that the Breton commonly displayed. I was finding this entire interaction rather entertaining myself but I didn't feel inclined to speak up.

Erik chuckled, "I'd be more than glad to-"

"-to keep it to himself out of the kindness of his heart." Liriette cut him off, finishing his sentence with what she wanted him to say though we all knew that wasn't what he planned on responding with. Her desperation was sweet. Adorable.

Erik put one hand over his heart, gasping theatrically, "Surely a 'Slayer' is rather short on kindness! And since that is indeed the case I feel it is my duty-"

Liriette stepped forward and punched Erik's arm with moderate force. Though the pale limb was thin, it was muscular enough so that you could tell the blow did absolutely nothing, and I knew she hadn't intended it to do real damage. It got her point across well enough, since Erik's words stopped and were instead replaced by laughter. He was evidently pleased with how the situation turned in his favor. By then my vague smirk had turned into a full on grin. Even Ahtar was smiling.

The Breton glanced around at all of us, registering our faces before glaring to herself, "I'm glad you all find this so very funny." She pouted. I knew she wasn't actually upset, just embarrassed. Liriette was surely capable of laughing at herself, knowing all of the other aspects of her personality, there was no doubt in my mind.

Watching she and Erik interact made me realize how much alike the two were. Both of them were jovial, immature at times, childish yet capable of being serious as well, I understood why they were traveling together and why their banter seemed so fluid. They easily coincided. Gods, they even looked alike. Pale skin, red hair, yet differing eye colors.

There was a strange feeling in the air when all four of them were together. They simply worked. It was... reassuring? Hard to describe. I knew that normally, the three I was just introduced to wouldn't have interacted or functioned well together. But Liriette had come into all of their lives and the natural magnetism she had around her must've drawn them in, one by one. With her there acting as a sort of social adhesive, the trio became close with one another as well.

I wanted to be a part of it. I knew that, and I suddenly felt such a strong compulsion to join into what they had formed. It had the camaraderie that the Guild used to, that same camaraderie that I missed so much. When that camaraderie had left I felt slightly hollow, and now that there was a chance to fill that void, I was becoming frantic to do so.

Liriette sighed and her shoulders sagged, admitting what looked to be defeat to herself before she shook her head back and forth, "You're all immature." A slight smile returned to her face.

Ahtar scoffed at those words – the first sound he had emit since he uttered his name. He crossed his huge, dark, muscular arms and when Liriette looked at him he said nothing, simply cocking an amused brow at her. A smirk remained on his hardened features. It was pleasant and warm. Something about him, especially, was unexpectedly approachable. At the very least you could tell that with him – what you saw was what you got. He didn't put on airs, nor did he ever have compulsions to. He was only ever completely himself, and that was that.

Liriette didn't say anything else, just exhaled audibly once more and rolled her shoulders very slightly. After a few dragging seconds her eyes moved to me and my chest felt lighter.

"Well, now you're all introduced, so that's over and done with..." She shot a very brief glare at Erik who grinned ear-to-ear at her in response, "...you can all go about your business now." Though she was technically addressing them she didn't turn from me.

Brelyna glanced over her shoulder at Marcurio, "Alright. Like I said, it's nice to finally meet you Sapphire." She smiled warmly at me and I gave her a weak little grin back before she returned to her awaiting fellow mage.

Ahtar didn't say anything and I almost thought he didn't respond in any way at all, but I vaguely saw him give a very slight nod before sitting back down in his previous spot. His axe rested against the wall once again.

Erik hadn't gotten a chance to do so earlier and took the opportunity when it presented itself – extending his hand, a smirk still on his boyish features. I was starting to think that was on his face all the time, like he perhaps couldn't control it at all. I followed suit and he gave me a very firm handshake, almost overly-so, "It's been a pleasure." He released his grip and went back to the bar. Keerava pretended to busy herself to possibly prevent him from striking conversation, but I knew from my brief interaction with Erik that her efforts were in vain.

My eyes returned to the Breton in front of me, her gaze not having moved whatsoever. Being near her like this after such a long absence was so fulfilling. Every worry that had lurked in the back of my mind was put to rest and all of my unease was lifted the moment I heard her voice again. I became entranced by her eyes once more, by their color. It was startlingly easy to get lost in them.

"So," She smiled, taking a deep breath, "That's them. What do you think...?" She was worried about what my answer might be.

"I think you four must work amazingly together." I told her, making my voice mirror my level of seriousness. She could tell it was true.

She emit a sole, quiet laugh, "Well, you could say that I suppose. We get things done that's for sure." One of her fair hands reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

Briefly I scanned the area behind her. Brelyna, Ahtar and Erik had all resumed what they had been doing prior to our introduction. It was almost like it hadn't happened at all. That is until Erik noticed me looking and gave me a smile. I returned it.

"Sapphire?" Liriette spoke up and my gaze returned immediately. She looked nervous again. Like how she had before she had left – before she had asked me to go with her, and before she had retracted her offer so shortly after it was made. She was having difficulty holding our eye contact, I could tell from her body language.

I reached forward, gently touching her arm with my fingers. It instead made her eyes move to my hand, not my face. I drew away, which finally got her to look at me. Her smile had faded and her nervousness became the primary emotion in her persona. My raised eyebrow was enough of a response.

"I-I know I asked this already, then changed my mind, but this time I'm legitimately asking okay? Again, don't feel obligated to say yes, this is completely your choice and I'm fine with whatever-"

I cut her off, not wanting her to ramble longer than was needed, "-I'll go with you." Her mouth remained open and her eyes widened, as if she expected me to alter my answer, though I didn't. Wanting to reassure her I smiled warmly.

Finally, she started beaming and she was so full of energy it was as if she might literally start bouncing off the walls any minute. Her abrupt exuberance was incredibly endearing and it made my heart swell. What was the sweetest thing, to me, was how relieved she looked. She had seriously been worried I might've said no. There wasn't a chance in the world.

"Um, wow, okay! T-that's great, that's, uh" She didn't know how to express her emotions with words so instead she just moved forward and hugged me tightly. Briefly. I returned the gesture automatically that time, although it had still been just as startling. The contact was mind-numbing to me.

When she drew back she seemed to be realizing how excited she was, and she tried in vain to tone it down by focusing on her breathing.

"So when are we heading out?" I asked her. My question simply renewed her emotions and she could barely form a coherent response.

"Tomorrow. Whenever you want, tomorrow."


	10. The Drill

I didn't have much to gather, just my bow, dagger, and my few bottles of Black-Briar mead that I had saved for a special occasion. I told Mercer about my trip and he didn't seem to care much, most likely assuming I wouldn't be gone for long. In truth I had no idea how long this journey would last. The only other person I informed of my departure was Rune. He wished me good luck. His words seemed empty, merely a generic social gesture. I didn't let it bother me much.

Exiting the Cistern with my pack slung over my shoulder, as I emerged into the cemetery I was immediately greeted by Liriette. She seemed to be geared up to go as well, trademark smirk equipped on her face just like her weapons were equipped on her person. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and all of her movements were jittery. Saying she was eager to go would be an extreme understatement.

We retrieved the others from the marketplace, where they were all perusing away without a care in the world. Ahtar was chatting up Balimund, most likely about weapons of some kind, or perhaps swapping battle stories. Brelyna was interrogating Medesi about Argonian craftsmanship, seeming genuinely interested, surprisingly enough. And Erik was being drawn in by Brynjolf, who was trying to sell one of his new schemes – simply reinforcing my theory of his naivety. I swooped in to rescue him though Brynjolf retracted his efforts once he saw that he was associated with me. Liriette shot him a smile before literally grabbing Erik by the collar and tugging the boy along towards the gates, the others already having noticed us and following on their own.

Although I personally knew nothing of our destination, following Liriette didn't seem aimless. It always felt as if she had purpose, like she was striving toward something. Even small actions, like her stopping for a moment to catch a butterfly, or to pluck a particular mushroom from the ground, seemed to hold some type of importance in the grand scheme of things. She simply emanated this aura of determination that was truly inspiring in a way I cannot put into words. Her presence was more comforting than anything else I had ever experienced. With her at my side, I felt as if I could do anything and everything in the world.

There was constant banter between everyone in our group. Simply by eavesdropping I managed to learn more about the others in a short amount of time, either from their own conversations or from Liriette's subtle, brief whispers of information she would provide every now and again – just to keep me in the loop.

Ahtar was once a headsman at Solitude, an occupation that definitely seemed to suit him, in my opinion. Brelyna once used Liriette as a sort of practice dummy for her spells, and had turned the Breton into a variety of animals in a matter of minutes. Apparently Liriette had still yet to let that go, and brought it up whenever she saw a chance to. Brelyna added that she would be "atoning for that until the day she died". As for Erik, every assumption I had made about him proved to be accurate. He was a simple boy from the farming settlement of Rorikstead who had been "doomed" to carry out his family tradition of tending the fields, but he had dreamt of adventure. Liriette managed to convince his father to allow Erik to accompany her, and the rest was history.

It was only after we had started to ascend a large mountain that I finally questioned where we were headed.

Liriette cracked her knuckles on one hand before responding, "Well since _somebody_," She shot a pointed glance at Erik, who shrugged earnestly, "Felt the need to buy a particularly expensive sword back in Whiterun, we're a little low on funds at the moment. Anuriel gave me a bounty for a dragon that's somewhere in this area. I've learned to check mountain tops. Dragons like those."

She sounded so incredibly nonchalant and it nearly struck me speechless. A dragon? A beast of legend that could single-handedly destroy an entire settlement on a whim if it so chose? It could take an army to kill a dragon, why was Liriette so confident in this endeavor? My body tensed up as an unfamiliar sense of fear washed over me, and I stopped walking for a moment, which confused her.

"A dragon? We're going to fight a _dragon?_" I simply could not keep my confusion from my voice. There was no way I was going to feign understanding in this situation, to me, this was life or death. For one, the beasts flew. The only way to injure them in the sky was by bow and arrow, which I was barely a novice with, and magic, which I simply couldn't even begin to comprehend. I would be useless unless it landed, and even then, head-on encounters weren't the specialty of a thief.

Liriette cocked a brow at me, standing still as well. Everyone else gradually followed her lead, though Erik seemed to do so grudgingly. He was rather antsy, sword drawn, bouncing slightly from foot to foot. I glanced at him and he gestured that we should keep going. His mild petulance was tangible.

"Yes, a dragon. Is there a problem?" She asked me, her voice calm and understanding. At least _she_ had patience.

Erik grumbled something under his breath before speaking up loud enough for me to hear, "What, are you allergic or something? Do their scales make your nose tickle?"

I rolled my eyes slightly, "Yes, actually, I'm allergic to their _fire_. It's not good for my skin, or my life expectancy." All this talk of these ancient beasts made my guard go up and my hand move to rest on my dagger. As my fingers idly traced up and down the length of it, a creeping realization dawned on me – my only effective weapon against such a creature was probably about the size of one of its teeth.

My retort won me some mock laughter from him as he started to slowly walk backwards up the mountain, trying to urge the rest of us forward though we didn't move. Liriette looked like she wasn't going to budge until she was certain I was reassured.

Before the Breton could speak up, Ahtar's booming voice beat her to it, "Not all of them breathe fire, actually. For some it's ice." Divines he was so blunt.

Brelyna chuckled slightly to herself, "Yes, Ahtar, that's certainly going to reassure her."

"Well she _is _a Nord." The two were both behind me but I didn't bother looking. Liriette and I were staring at one another, her brow having furrowed slightly in concern for me.

"True, and I'm a Dunmer. You don't see me hugging my flame atronachs, now do you?" By the way they were talking – like this entire encounter that was going to happen meant nothing more to them than a scuffle with some bandits – I could infer that this certainly wasn't the first dragon they had fought.

And here I was, green as grass, more frightened than ever before. To me, dragons seemed unkillable. I wasn't living under a rock, however, and I heard the tales of the Dragonborn returning, slaying that dragon just outside Whiterun and escaping the massacre at Helgen. The problem was, however, that the Dragonborn was fulfilling a prophecy. We were just looking for some coin.

I shook my head back and forth, "So, let me just get this straight, I'm the only one here completely confounded right now?" I already knew the answer to that question.

It was then that Liriette started to get a smirk back on her flawless face. She was amused. It was as if she realized something abruptly, something that tickled her funny bone in just the right way. In fact, it seemed she was holding back laughter almost.

Erik then spoke again, "Wait, does she not even kn-"

"-Shh!" Liriette quickly cut him off, waving her hands frantically, like he was about to blow her cover. I was so confused, "Don't say anything! Lets just show her." Looking back at me, she reached and clutched my hand, "Trust me, Sapphire, everything's fine. Just follow us, alright? We know what we're doing." Not really giving me another option, she pulled me alongside her as they proceeded up this slope.

I was absolutely terrified.

The higher we got, the more scarce the banter became. Slowly, everyone else started to arm themselves. Ahtar unsheathed his enormous axe, Brelyna readied her spells, and Erik tightened his grip on his shield. Something was becoming visible as we were about to crest this peak. It seemed to be some kind of ancient ruin with a language on it I couldn't decipher. Bones of various animals and some men were scattered around us, and the intervals between the remains got smaller and smaller the closer we got. Charred remains of wagons and or buildings were strewn about as well. This place just felt... wrong. Dangerous.

Finally, everyone stopped. I don't know why, but everyone stood still simultaneously, as if on cue. Liriette released her grip on my hand and drew her sword, twirling it once in her hand. It seemed like Erik was on skooma he was so excited for whatever was about to occur. A few dragging seconds passed by, where nothing happened, nobody moved, and no words were spoken. Until suddenly, I heard it.

It was an unmistakable sound in this situation; the beating of wings that must have been huge judging by the distance I could hear them from. My body turned to stone and my blood to ice. I took out my dagger and held it with both of my shaky hands, knuckles white, palms sweaty. Ahtar set his jaw. Brelyna let out a long exhale before she cast a spell that made the outline of her body turn turquoise. Erik hit his sword against his shield, chuckling slightly. Liriette simply looked up at the sky and smiled.

Then it appeared. A beast that surpassed any descriptions I had ever heard of it came into view, flying around the mountain that we stood on like sitting ducks. Its scales were a sickly greenish brown color, its eyes reptilian in nature – resembling an Argonian's almost. They were red, sinister, and stood out greatly from the rest of its enormous body. Its wings seemed to part the clouds it flew by, its claws glistened from the setting sun. Everything about this creature was absolutely nightmare-inducing. I found myself unable to move.

Liriette was suddenly in action, "Alright everyone, you know the drill!" She moved from my side and I somehow managed to feel even more vulnerable than before. And I most certainly did _not _know the drill. Had I not been struck so speechless by the sight of this monster, I would have vocalized this, but all I could do was stand and stare.

The spell in Brelyna's ashen hands morphed into that of frost, and she shot a sole spear of ice straight into the Dragon's path. It pierced one of its wings, and the noise that the beast emit shook the ground we stood on it was so deafening. My body trembled at the sight of its teeth. Now it seemed difficult for the dragon to fly, and it made movements to prepare for landing. It's destination? Right where we were.

_Oh Gods..._ I thought to myself as it got closer and closer to us, casting a gigantic shadow over the land.

"Sapphire move!" Erik shouted at me, but I simply couldn't budge. Truly it felt as if I had been paralyzed, "This isn't part of the plan! Liriette did you even tell her _anything?"_

"Shut up, Erik!" Next thing I knew, I felt her familiar warmth beside me as she firmly grasped one of my arms and tugged me out of harm's way. My body complied with the induced motion and she shoved me behind a nearby assortment of boulders. Forcing me to lock eyes with her she spoke firmly, "Okay, don't move, but watch, got it?" I said nothing. She gently grasped my chin and aimed my head up at her, making my breath hitch, "Got it?" Blinking twice, I nodded, "Good."

Leaving me there, the Breton dove straight back into the battle. Tremors were once again sent through the ground as the beast finally landed. It did _not _seem happy with its inability to take to the air, and it made that very clear by making quite a bit of fuss. It shuffled all about, roaring and flapping its wings – which sent gusts of wind that nearly knocked Ahtar and Erik straight off their feet. The Breton leader of our ragtag troop, however? She stood her ground and barely flinched.

"Guys, the drill!" Liriette shouted again, needing to be extremely loud in order to be heard by everyone.

It was as if the Breton had turned a switch, because as soon as she said that, everyone initiated coordinated action. Brelyna continued to pelt the dragon's left wing mercilessly with more ice spears, to ensure its inability to escape.

Ahtar maneuvered to be behind the beast before bringing down his axe as hard as possible straight into its tail. It howled with agony, literally pinned to the ground by this new wound. Ahtar was like a rock, not moving no matter how much the dragon struggled. I noticed his heels digging into the dirt at his feet as the dragon's tail writhed all about. He then withdrew his large blade, allowing the tail to be freed, and it nearly struck him straight in the side but he dove away. With startlingly fast accuracy for his size, he managed to strike down the tail once again. At this rate, he was going to sever it.

Erik was busy on the dragon's right wing, doing as much damage as humanly possible. He was absolutely _digging _his sword into the webbing there, tearing through it, dragon blood splattering all over his pale skin and his armor. He hacked and slashed desperately, before he felt as if he had done enough damage and he started to focus on the dragon's legs. The scales there seemed to make it difficult to make any lasting mark, but that didn't keep him from trying.

And Liriette was right at the front. To me, it seemed like the most dangerous position. She was right in the path of the dragon's mouth, mere feet away from its deadly jaws, but it didn't even faze her. She leapt nimbly out of the way when it tried to bite her, and stood her ground against a headbutt by blocking it with her shield. For such a lithe Breton she could surprisingly enough hold her own against a dragon's headbutt. She was truly full of surprises.

The beast was thoroughly overwhelmed by all of these people attacking it from every side, it didn't know what to do. Dismayed and desperate, it was flailing all about, roaring loudly, trying anything and everything in its power to not lose this battle. Liriette landed a good slice on its snout that made it rear up, infuriated. Its tail flailed unexpectedly and knocked Ahtar back, disarming him as well. Brelyna seemed to be out of magicka, she shook her wrist as she cursed at her palm. Erik's stamina was running low – his assault on the dragon's legs proving fruitless. He was kicked away also, this dragon refusing to give up.

Now it was solely Liriette up against the beast. Although surely one of her companions would soon be able to rejoin the effort, those were precious seconds that couldn't be wasted and the Breton knew it. As the dragon looked at her with its unforgiving eyes, and opened its gaping jaws to emit a fiery roar to burn her down to nothing but ashes, she dropped her sword, readied her hands, and shot a lightning bolt straight into its gullet.

The beast roared and writhed, shook and screeched, before finally, it collapsed and laid still on the dirt, defeated. The others recuperated and all looked at the carcass, catching their breath. I scrambled to my feet, slightly embarrassed, and stared in pure awe at the beast that lay before all of us. Liriette was panting heavily, her arms littered with a few scratches here and there from the struggle that had just ensued. Though her smirk slowly returned.

"That... that was..." I didn't know what to say, but right as I was about to start stammering out incoherent things as per usual, Erik merely held up his hand to halt my words. At first I thought he was being rude, and that he held a grudge against me for my lack of participation in the battle, but then I realized he wanted me to see something.

The dragon's skin was peeling up and away, detaching from its skeleton and drifting into the air, only to morph into these translucent sort of light threads. They were colors that resembled the auroras in the sky in the manner that it's impossible to describe their color and beauty, nor how amazing they are to behold. There were dozens, no, hundreds of them, coming off of this dragon's carcass all at once, twisting and intertwining in the air before they all moved straight towards Liriette and literally went _inside of _her. It was as if she absorbed them, as if they became part of her. For a few dragging moments, her beauty surpassed anything that could ever be described on this earth. Her outline started to glow, her eyes became the colors of those lights, her skin seemed to pulsate and power emanated off of her in tangible waves.

It was then that I realized it. Liriette Jenic was the Dragonborn.


End file.
